1. food and drink
2. desserts and baking

Free
1,300 ACRES •
CONFERENCES
March 2015
BEAUTIFUL WEDDINGS • FAMILY REUNIONS
• CORPORATE & TEAM BUILDING RETREATS
Book the entire Inn for your
wedding, reunion, retreat,
birthday or conference.
o Only 3 miles from Exit 4, I-89.
o Luxuriously appointed suites with
private baths, breathtaking views
and dedicated phone lines.
o 14 rooms with 45 beds.
o Willy B’s Tavern: Dinners Thurs. – Sat.
o In the heart of the beautiful, 1,300
acre Green Mountain Stock Farm.
802-728-5575 • www.ThreeStallionInn.com • 665 Stock Farm Road • Randolph, Vermont
The Sammis Family, Owners
“THE BEST LODGING, DINING & SPORTS IN CENTRAL VERMONT”
FITNESS CENTER • SAUNA • HOT SPRING TUB • SNOWSHOEING • X-C SKIING
USB & ETHERNET JACKS • FREE WIFI • MOBILE PHONE SERVICE
• Statewide Calendar
of Events, Map
• Inns, B&B’s, Dining,
Real Estate
• Plenty of Good
Reading!
March Journal
The Visitor
by Bill Felker
From time to time, I am
visited by depressions, sometimes light, sometimes deep.
One morning not long ago,
I woke up to one of those
darker moods in which nothing seemed right or meaningful. Not only was I useless to
myself, I thought, but there
was nothing positive I could
do for anyone else.
Staring out the window
and nursing my emotions,
I heard the knocking of a
yellow-bellied sapsucker
on the siding of the house.
She had been there before;
a yellow-bellied sapsucker
had appeared in the middle
of spring to tap at my siding
nearly every year for more
than a decade.
She comes just once a
spring on her way to somewhere. If she is not the same
bird each year, then maybe a
daughter or grand-daughter
following a family tradition,
taught by her parents that
for good luck, or maybe for
the taste of a certain kind of
beetle emerging from the
cedar just before equinox,
she should stop and check
the wood.
And that simple knock,
which I would have missed
had I been busy at more practical things, brought flooding
in the whole optimism of
spring. The isolation I’d been
feeling dissipated immediately. The bird’s presence and
her history were all I needed
to come back from what
seemed to be a hopeless funk.
In my joy, I blew the whole
incident out of proportion. I
allowed the arbitrary act of
a sapsucker to reassure me
about the good order of the
entire world. Things were
not, as my mood had told me,
out of sync and empty, but
rich and all in place if only I
would listen.
Perhaps, I thought, fortune was no more or less
than this. Maybe sense and
virtue, immediate pleasure
and lasting meaning, were as
free and as accessible. And if
the transient yellow-bellied
sapsucker could wield the
power of happiness, I might
wield it, too.
Since 1954, an
organization of
Vermont enthusiasts
whose objective is to
visit the state’s 251
towns and cities.
www.vt251.com
(802) 234-5039
Teacher Treasures
A Teacher Resource Store & More!
A flock of sheep cross the winter pasture in Pawlet, VT.
March in Vermont Curmudgeon March is here again
With all his old pretense;
He blows the ear-muffs off your ears,
The pickets off your fence;
He wants it known that he’s a man
And month of consequence.
He claims descent from General Mars,
And says he led the year,
Till Julius Caesar happened ’round
And took him by the ear,
And said, “Step down, old Janus-face
Has your position here.”
For bitter looks and biting breath
He has no likes nor kind;
The children born when he’s around
Will neither grow nor mind;
He drives the well towards Jacksonville
And leaves the sick behind.
He hates to see the bare-back ground
Stick up above the snow;
He hates to see the onions sprout
And autos start to go;
Scrapbooking Materials & Gently
Used Books/Lending Library
Northern Forest
Canoe Trail
“A Hands-On Store”
School Year Hours:
2–5 pm Wed–Fri and 10–5 on Sat
(802) 365-4811 • (802) 365-4426 fax
Cynthia W. Nau • sindy@sover.net
Right on Rt. 30—just north of Newfane Village
740 miles of lakes, rivers,
& streams connecting the
Adirondacks to Northern Maine
Canoes, Kayaks, & Standup Paddleboards Welcome!
Guidebook • Maps • Membership • Volunteer
northernforestcanoetrail.org • (802) 496-2285
~ Homemade Pies ~
24 Delicious Assorted Varieties!
G
A
ANDM
R
pies
M
SINCE 1994
IL
'S
pastries
LER
Pies also available at:
River Valley Market
in Wilmington, VT
The Colonial House
Inn & Motel in Weston, VT
Wayside Country Store
in West Arlington, VT
H.N. Williams Store
in Dorset, VT
The Market Wagon
in N. Bennington, VT
photo by Nancy Cassidy
Fresh Baked or Oven Ready
Take One Home Today!
Apple • Apple Crumb • Strawberry-Rhubarb
Pecan • Maple Walnut • Cherry
Blueberry • Summer Berry • Raspberry Peach
29+ Varieties of Homemade Pies!
Quiche, Soup and other Dinner Specialties
Chicken Pot Pie & Shepard’s Pie.
Coffee Cake, Sticky Buns, Cookies, and Breads.
Special Orders Welcome (802) 824-4032.
He has no mercy in his heart,
No warmth within his soul;
He’d let a poor “uplifter” trudge
Before he’d fill her bowl;
He’d turn the pasture brook to ice
And spoil the swimming hole.
But he gets paid for his misdeeds,
The cowslips in the dell
Run out their yellow tongues at him,
The crows, they sass him well,
And pretty April comes and tells
The anxious buds to swell.
— DANIEL L. CADY
Guilford Church Sugar-on-Snow
Supper Set for March 21
The Annual Sugar-onSnow Supper at Guilford
Community Church, Guilford, VT will be held on
Saturday evening, March 21.
The menu features baked
ham, baked beans, deviled
eggs, potato salad, coleslaw,
freshly baked rolls, sugar-onsnow with homemade donuts
& pickles, and your choice of
coffee, tea or milk.
A half gallon of maple
syrup will be raffled off during each seating.
There are three seatings to
choose from, at 4:30, 5:45,
and 7 p.m. Prices are $11
adults, $5 children age 11
and under, and $3 for preschoolers.
Directions: take 1-91 to
Vermont Exit 1 (Brattleboro),
go south on US Rt. 5 just past
Guilford Country Store, left
on Bee Barn Rd., then left
again to 38 Church Dr.
For reservations, please
call (802) 254-9562 or email
guilfordchurchsupper@
gmail.com. For more information visit www.guilford
church.org.
Apples & Cider
Available All Winter
�
Green Mountain Orchards
130 West Hill Rd, Putney, VT
(Exit 4, I-91) Look for signs in Village
(802) 387-5851
mail@greenmtorchards.com • www.greenmtorchards.com
“Have a cup
of coffee or
tea and a
pastry in
our cafe area
and enjoy
the view!”
Vermont Country Sampler
March 2015, Vol. XXX
The Original Vermont Country Sampler is distributed free
over-the-counter in and out of Vermont. Back issues, $2 per
issue, first class. Subscriptions $24/year.
Calendar of Events published free of charge. Mail your
information to us by the 10th of the preceding month.
Come Visit Our Retail Store
At Hearthstone Village, Rt. 100, 2 mi. S. of Londonderry, VT
Open Monday–Saturday, 8 am – 5:30 pm
He likes a coalpile best that’s gone,
And next best when it’s low.
David Nunnikoven
Baker & Owner
We are not responsible for typographical errors. No material
in this publication may be reprinted without permission of the
publisher. ©2015. All rights reserved.
Vermont Country Sampler • Charles Sutton
PO Box 197, N. Clarendon, VT 05759 • (802) 772-7463
www.vermontcountrysampler.com
Page 2 Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015
Keith Bronson (on left) gathers sap with the help of a team of Percheron draft horses at Maple Hill Farm in Whitingham, VT. Farm owner Steve Morse carries a bucket on the far right.
17th Annual Whitingham Maple Festival
9:00–4:00—Craft Fair. Twin Valley High School, Rt. 100,
Whitingham. Food at the Craft Fair is priced by item since
various organizations offer a variety of delicious lunch items.
All Day—Self-guided Tours of Whitingham artisans, hours
vary. Participants will open their studios and workspaces to
share their ideas, process and products.
10:00–2:00 — Horse Drawn Sleigh Rides, snow or no
snow (donations appreciated). Across from Twin Valley
Middle School, Rt. 100, Whitingham.
11:30–1:30—Lunch is served by the Whitingham Ladies
Benevolent Society at the Twin Valley High School, Rt. 100,
Whitingham..
5:00–7:00—Sugar-on-Snow Ham Dinner by Unity Lodge
#89 A&FM at the Jacksonville Municipal Center. Adults $12,
children 5-12 $6, children under five free.
Sunday, March 29th
8:00–4:00—Information Booth is open at the Twin Valley
High School on Rt. 100 in Whitingham.
Please check the latest schedule at the Information Booth
8:00–5:00 — Sugar House Tours at seven local sugar- at Twin Valley High School. For further festival information
houses, hours vary. Self-guided auto tour maps available at call Carol Mandracchia at (802) 368-2658. info@whiting
the Information Booth.
hammaplefest.com. www.whitingham-maplefest.us.
W I N T E R
FARMERS
M A R K E T
Every Saturday
Through March
10 am – 2 pm
At the River Garden
BRATTLEBORO
153 Main St.,
Brattleboro, VT
Farm Fresh • Local • Handmade • Homemade
Great Local Food Lunches & Live Music
A Wonderful Selection of Gifts • Debit & EBT Cards Welcomed
Flames Stables
Route 100 South, Wilmington, VT
(802) 464-8329
Scenic Year-Round
Trail Rides: $25 for 40 Min.
Children Over 6 Can Ride Alone
~ By Reservation ~
Great Family Fun at the Lowest Prices Around!
Jason Morse filters maple syrup at Maple Hill Farm in
Whitingham, VT.
V
7:00–10:00—Pancake Breakfast by American Legion and
Legion Auxiliary at the Municipal Center in Jacksonville.
Adults $8, 65+ years $6, children under five free.
10:00–2:00 — Horse Drawn Sleigh Rides, snow or no
snow (donations appreciated). Across from Twin Valley
Middle School, Rt. 100, Whitingham.
10:00–3:00—Information Booth is open at Twin Valley
High School, Rt. 100, Whitingham.
8:00–5:00 — Sugar House Tours at seven local sugarhouses, hours vary. Self-guided auto tour maps are available
at the Information Booth at Twin Valley High School, Rt.
100, Whitingham.
10:00–2:30 — Craft Fair at Twin Valley High School,
Rt. 100, Whitingham. Food at the Craft Fair is priced by
item since various organizations offer a variety of delicious
lunch items.
Whitingham Festival Schedule
All Day—Self-guided Tours of Whitingham artisans, hours
vary. Participants will open their studios and workspaces to
Saturday, March 28th
7:00–10:00—Pancake Breakfast by the Lions Club at the share their ideas, process and products.
11:30–1:30—Lunch is served by the eighth grade class at
Jacksonville Municipal Center. Adults $8, 65+ years and
Twin
Valley High School, Rt. 100, Whitingham.
children 5-12 $6, children under five free.
lor Fa
y
a
T
t
i
r
s
i
m
For the 17th year in a row, the town of Whitingham
will host it’s annual spring celebration of Vermont’s most
famous export—maple sugar and maple syrup. This year,
the festival will be held Saturday, March 28 and Sunday,
March 29, 2015. There are a number of Bed & Breakfasts
and small inns in and around town, making this a pleasant
weekend get-away.
Whitingham, VT, a town of 1,500 residents nestled in the
southern Green Mountains, takes it’s maple seriously. It is
in the blood; the first 14 settlers arrived in 1770, and by the
early years of the next century, there were 45 sugar makers
working nearly 40,000 taps. Today, there are still around
18 sugarhouses in town, turning out some 8,000 gallons of
syrup in a good season. Many of the town’s families have
lived and sugared here for generations.
Plans for this year’s festival include self-guided tours of
seven local sugar houses (with plenty of opportunities for
sampling), pancake breakfasts, luncheons, horse-drawn
sleigh rides, a craft fair, maple recipe contest, sugar-on-snow
baked ham dinner and more. There will be activities for
children at the Whitingham School. And shops and galleries
around Jacksonville and Whitingham will be open.
Visitors with a penchant for history might be interested to
know that Whitingham is the birthplace of Brigham Young,
the Mormon leader. Two monuments (one rather infamous
locally) note Young’s roots in the town, and are worth a
side trip.
You can pick up a map and check the latest schedules at
the Information Booth at the Whitingham Municipal Center
on Rt. 100 in Whitingham. The town is located on Route 100
in southern Vermont—between Bennington and Brattleboro,
and about 25 miles north of Greenfield, MA.
A New Vermont Tradition!
Visit our Farm Store for Vermont
cheeses, raw milk, baked goods,
honey, syrup and more.
Come for a seasonal horse-drawn
sleigh or wagon ride!
825 Rt. 11 West, Londonderry, VT
(20 min. from Manchester or Stratton)
(802) 824-5690 • taylorcheese@comcast.net
www.taylorfarmvermont.com
Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015 Page 3
Chester, VT
Local Students to Compete in Annual LEGO Contest
Saturday, March 21
When winter weather lures people indoors and school vacations and national holidays present extra time for creative
projects, students are encouraged to work on their entries for
the 2015 LEGO Contest. The annual contest will take place
from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday March 21 at the NewsBank
Conference Center in Chester, VT. Last year over Last year
over 175 adults and children attended, and entries came
from 15 towns in Vermont and three in New Hampshire.
Children and adults viewed fabulously different creations
in the comfortable space generously donated by NewsBank,
Inc. The event is open to the public and is sponsored by St.
Luke’s Episcopal Church.
LEGOmaniacs Pre-K through Grade 8 and families are
invited to enter and display their original creations (no kits are
allowed) for others to admire. Entries should be constructed
at home, brought to the NewsBank Conference Center, and
set up in a space approximately 18” x 30” from 9 a.m. to
10 a.m. on the day of the contest. Entries will be judged in
different grade categories from 10 a.m. to noon for their
originality, imagination, and presentation. If a structure is a
team entry, the age of the oldest member will determine the
grade category. There is also a separate family team class
for adults and children who have collaborated. The judges
will speak with every entrant to make sure they understand
each entry’s theme and details before they write comments
on an entry card.
Around 12:30 p.m. LEGO prizes will be awarded to the
winners and runners-up in the grade and family team divisions, with special awards for the Judges’ Choice for Best
in Show and Most Vermont creations. A new award, entitled
Creators’ Choice, will recognize the construction the entrants
themselves vote as their most favorite.
A crowd of kids examining the Drive Through entry of the girl in the striped shirt on the far side of the table. This gives
While the judging is going on, participants will have a
chance to check out the other entries and to share techniques an idea of the sharing that goes on at the annual LEGO Contest in Chester, VT.
and ideas with the other exhibitors. Stay and enjoy the dis- fun family event. This year, after entrants have spoken with be made out to “St. Luke’s Church” and mailed, along with
plays—refreshments will be for sale making for a relaxed, the judges about their exhibits, they may go to a LEGO sta- the registration form, to the Registrar, Lillian Willis, PO Box
tion and build an additional creation either alone or with a 318, Chester, VT 05143. Both the entry form and fee must
ADOPT a PET
friend. The building activity will be another opportunity to be received by March 16 in order to reserve a space. Entries
Open Wed–Sat
learn from others and have fun while the judges are confer- after March 16 and on the day of the contest will be $15, if
12–4:30 pm
ring and making their decisions.
there is space; but to avoid disappointment, pre-registration
Closed Sunday,
Participants should pre-register by March 16 to be assured is strongly encouraged. A portion of the proceeds from the
Monday & Tuesday
of a space. Entry forms may be downloaded from www.chester program will go to the Children’s Library at the Whiting
telegraph.org, www.ourchester.org, and Special Events at Library in Chester, VT.
Springfield Humane Society, Inc.
www.stlukesepiscopalvt.org. Printed forms are available
401 Skitchewaug Trail, Springfield, VT
at the Whiting Library and Chester-Andover Elementary
The NewsBank Conference Center is located at 352 Main
School on Main Street in Chester.
St., in Chester, VT.
(802) 885-3997 • www.spfldhumane.org
A check for the pre-registration fee of $10 per entry should
For additional information, please call Lillian Willis at
(802) 875-1340 or e-mail at lbwillisct@comcast.net. Visit
www.stlukesepiscopalvt.org.
ROCKINGHAM ARTS AND
MUSEUM PROJECT (RAMP)
Economic Development
Through the Arts
7 Canal Street
Bellows Falls, VT 05101
(802)463-3252
www.ramp-vt.org
The Exner Block provides live-work spaces for artists
and retail spaces supporting the arts:
Rural Vermont
Activates, Advocates and Educates
for Living Soils, Thriving Farms
and Healthy Communities
St. Patrick’s Fiddle Frenzy
In Bellows Falls on March 14
www.ruralvermont.org
(802) 223-7222
Stone Church Arts is hosting the St. Patrick’s Fiddle
Frenzy on Saturday, March
14, from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at
Immanuel Episcopal Church
in Bellows Falls, VT.
The traditional music of
New England and the Celtic
countries can be as warm and
comforting as a winter fire or
as potent and exhilarating as
a summer thunderstorm.
Fiddler and singer Lissa
Schneckenburger is a master
of both moods, a singer who
brings new life to old ballads
and a skillful fiddler of dance
tunes old and new. Lissa will
perform with fiddler and
singer Laura Cortese and
Boston based guitarist Bethany Waickman and perhaps
ten of her fiddle students. To-
Join Us in Giving Voice
to Vermont’s Family
Farm Heritage!
Check out our local artist notecards,
including this photo from John David Geery!
R. B. Erskine, Inc.
Grain & Supplies
Mon–Fri, 7:30–5:00; Sat 7:30–3:00
Wood Roasted BBQ
Rural Needs From A To Z
Two Locations
This Winter
At the Okemo Southface Chair Lift
Open Seven Days 10 am –3 pm
and
The Ludlow Country Store
— 471 Rt. 103 S., Ludlow, VT —
Open Daily 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed Tuesdays
Take Out & Catering, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
BBQ & Deli Sandwiches and Platters,
Vermont Cheeses, Homemade Soups & Sides,
Salads, Cold Beer & Wines, T-Shirts,
Vermont Gifts & Maple Products
Let Us Cater
Your Party or Family Gathering
Our Delicious BBQ & Homemade Sides
Will Please Everyone!
squeelsonwheels.com
(802) 228-8934 • see us on Facebook
Page 4 Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015
Chester Depot, VT
802-875-2333
Chick
Day
Order by April 4
A…Animal Traps
B…Bulk Seed: Garden, Pasture, Lawn
C…Cow Pots
D…Drip Irrigation
E…Electric Fencing
F…Fence Panels: ¼” Wire, 16’, 4 Styles
G…Good Garden Tools
H…High Mowing Seeds: $2.50
I…IPM Pest Control
J…Jiffy Pots & Jolly Balls
K…Kids’ Gloves & Tools
L…Leader Evaporator Dealer
M…METALBESTOS Chimney
N…Neptune’s Harvest Fertilizers
O…Organic Feeds & Fertilizers
P…Pet Foods & Supplies
Q…Quality Hand Tools
R…Rosin
S…Shedding Tools
T…Tanks, Tubs, & Totes
U…UVM Soil Tests
V…Vermont-made Products
W…Wire, Welded & Woven
X…Xtra Service
Y…Yard Hydrants & Parts
Z…Ziegler Trout Food
Good Service
Everyday Low Prices
Much, Much More
gether, they make a sparkling
acoustic music creation!
Tickets are $20, students
and seniors $15.
There will also be a Fiddle
and Song Retreat from March
13-15 held at the Immanuel
Retreat Center in Bellows
Falls. Take workshops on
fiddling, singing, and song
writing, participate in community outreach, perform
in the annual St. Patrick’s
“Fiddle Frenzy” concert, and
more! Tuition is $90, with
room and tuition $125-$225.
Immanuel Episcopal
Church is located at 20
Church St, Bellows Falls,
VT. For information call
(802) 460-0110. Visit www.
stonechurcharts.org.
Willow Farm Pet Services
Grooming & Boarding…Naturally
Doggie Daycare
Natural Foods & Pet Supplies
“The Red Barn” at #21 Route 106
N. Springfield, VT • (802) 886-5000
Mon–Fri 8–6, Sat 8–2
willowfarmvermont.com
Beautiful Jewelry
From Vintage Buttons
by Nina Jamison
Martha L. Welch of Chittenden, Vermont, designs
one-of-a-kind jewelry using
antique buttons. She started
her button jewelry business,
Vintage Button Jewelry, in
the fall of 2007, a year after
she retired as an elementary
school teacher. Martha’s passion is fueled by her love of
the search, the designing, and
the history of the buttons she
uncovers.
Traversing the snowy back
roads of Mendon and Chittenden we recently visited
Martha at her antique filled,
early 1800s home. It is here
that her inspiration and love
of history was born, in the
home she grew up in. Martha
says, “My inspiration came
from my childhood. I was
raised with antiques and,
from an early age. I grew to
appreciate the history that
went with them. My mother’s
button box was one of my
favorite toys. I loved playing with buttons, and I guess
that was one thing I never
outgrew.”
The vintage buttons are
from the late-19th century
through mid-20th century.
They all have value as collectables and were therefore
not damaged in the making
of the jewelry. China buttons,
Victorian metal buttons and
glass buttons are a few of
the handcrafted pieces, each
reflecting the era in which it
was made.
The vegetable ivory buttons are of particular interest since there was a vegetable ivory button factory
in Gaysville, Vermont in the
late 1800s.
Along the path from an
“out-of-the-box” idea to a
successful business, Martha
has learned several important
lessons. “If you can make
your passion into your business, you’ve got it made.
Keep your inventory up and
your prices down.”
Her philosophy is indeed
carried over in her pricing;
the unique, one-of-a-kind
necklaces and earrings are
$24 to $32.
Each antique button jewelry piece has a fascinating
past and comes with a card
describing its history. What’s
not to love?!
A new collection of Vintage Button Jewelry by
Martha L. Welch is now at
VAULT, an official Vermont
State Craft Center in Springfield, VT.
Gallery at the VAULT, a
Vermont State Craft Center,
is located at 68 Main St. in
Springfield, VT. Hours are
Tuesday through Saturday
Martha L. Welch will be showing her Vintage Button Jewelry at The VAULT in Springfield, VT.
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The VAULT
offers exhibits,classes, workshops, and items for sale.
• Property Taxes
For more information call
(802) 885-7111. E-mail gal
• Real Estate Prices
leryvault@vermontel.net. Or
Join The Nature Museum will be on March 21st. The
• Land Use Laws
visit www.galleryvault.org. at Grafton, the Southern Ver- crescent moon will be setmont Astronomy Group, and ting in the western sky with
When you are considering buying Vermont real estate,
Grafton Ponds on the evening the planet Venus nearby, and
there are many factors to consider. Our bimonthly
of Friday March 20, 2015 for Jupiter will be positioned for
newsletter for owners and buyers of real estate here
a stargazing experience for us to observe through a telecovers several: market trends, tax and legal matters,
adults and families!
scope. Fee: $5, family $20.
state news, listings of recent real estate sales, practical
Bob Dudley of the Southadvice, more. Price is $52.95 per year plus 6% sales tax
ern Vermont Astronomy
Grafton Ponds is located
for a Vermont address . Full refund if not satisfied. Make
Group will lead an astron- at 783 Townshend Rd. in
check payable to “VPOR” and mail to:
omy program at Grafton Grafton, VT. For more details
Vermont Property Owners Report
Ponds in Grafton, VT. In case call (802) 843-2111 or go to
PO
Box 1564, Dept. CS, Montpelier, VT 05601
of cloudy weather, a rain date www.nature-museum.org.
Stargazing with Bob Dudley &
SoVerA at Grafton Ponds
(Or call (802) 552-1157 to order by credit card.)
Organic Beekeeping Workshop
With Ross Conrad in Chester,VT
Martha L. Welch’s Vintage Button Jewelry.
March March is the time for many things;
For blustering winds and bluebirds’ wings,
For thawing snow and muddy boots,
For cleaning house and crocus shoots.
March spells beginning to all springs.
March is the time for sugar-on-snow,
When pussywillows start to grow,
For hot town meetings, alleys, too,
And—you will always find this true—
Spring fever comes when March winds blow!
Join The Nature Museum
for a beekeeping workshop
with expert Ross Conrad. On
Saturday, March 14th from
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the News
Bank Conference Center in
Chester, VT, Conrad will
lead a workshop on “Overwintering Bees and Spring
Management” and “Beeswax: Production, Collection,
Processing, and Uses”.
Light morning refreshments will be served, featuring special treats from
Grafton Village Cheese!
Participants are encouraged
to bring a brown bag lunch.
This will be an interactive
workshop with plenty of time
to discuss beekeeping and
answer questions with Ross.
Fee is $35.
The News Bank Conference Center is located at
352 Main St., Chester, VT.
For more info call (802)
843-2111. Visit www.naturemuseum.org.
—MIM HERWIG
Randolph Center, VT
Stone
House
ANTIQUES CENTER
A multitude of antiques, collectibles and crafts.
Over 250 booths featuring fine furniture, folk art, quilts,
jewelry, primitives, farm implements, books and bottles.
Open Daily 10 am to 5 pm. (802) 875-4477.
Route 103, Chester, VT. 8 miles west of Exit 6, I-91.
Come down to the
Hugging Bear
and get your sweetie a
stuffed animal for Easter
♥ ♥ ♥
Folkmanis Puppets
Webkinz, Douglas Co.
Gund, Mary Meyer
Muffy Vanderbear
Steiff Collectibles
Artist Bears
A Magical Place!
Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015 Page 5
photo by Jeff Gold
Snowshoeing in the mountains of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom.
The Weeks of March by Bill Felker
The Week of the Lanky Wild Onions
The advance of spring is neither logical nor linear.
Spring does not always obey the measurements of the
sun, sometimes arrives all at once, sometimes hardly
comes at all. Sometimes it crosses boundaries into
autumn, winter or summer. And, like all seasons, its
nature in any one year is evocative of different years,
blending and separating, transporting the observer
back a decade or a half century, teaching that nothing
belongs where it seems to belong but that everything is
welded together in the spin of the planet.
—Bill Felker
The Week of Buzzards and Mosquitoes
A few days ago, not a bird, not a sound; everything
rigid and severe; then in a day the barriers of winter
give way, and spring comes like an inundation. In a
twinkling all is changed.
—John Burroughs
I walked southwest into the ice that was shining in the sun.
The woods were bright, steaming from the melting water.
When I returned northeast with the sun at my back, the wet
osage branches were golden and spring like. As I moved, the
ice fell around me, pieces like cocoons or cicada ectoskeletons, fossils of the branches, the winter’s hulls shattered in
the March sun. It was like walking in rain and hail, the sky
pure blue. At one point, I turned around and saw the biggest
red fox I’ve ever seen jogging after me. He stopped when I
stopped, put his ears back, sniffed my tracks, then turned and
climbed up into the woods. At home in the greenhouse, the
R B RO
A
E
O
K
CL
first leaf of a violet, the plant brought in last fall, had grown
out. In one corner of the yard, one snowdrop and two aconites
were blooming, and a few wild onions were getting lanky.
F A R M
So much happened before the cold weather moved back
in this week.
On the 9th, Mike reported: “The redwings finally showed
up a week ago on Tuesday (February 28th). I heard a killdeer for the first time Sunday (March 6th), and I believe the
mockingbirds might be back. Bluebirds were singing today.”
Casey also called on the 9th. He’d seen one buzzard, but
he admitted that “one buzzard doesn’t count” as the official
return of buzzards for spring. The next day, the problem was
solved. Casey phoned again to tell me that eight buzzards
were circling above.
“Old friends,” he called them, and he described the birds
to me as they rode the hard wind up and up. So I went out
into the back yard of my house, and there they were, so high
that both Casey and I could see them even though we stood
a mile apart.
Mosquitoes appear with the buzzards. Sure enough, on the
11th, Jean and I found a mosquito flying around in our car.
Blackbirds arrived the week that robins began their chorus
at 6 a.m. Cardinals and doves were calling around 6:30 a.m.
The United Church of Dorset is honored to host
Free
Winter Community Supper
Now is Sign-up Time for our
Summer Season Farm Share (CSA)
Share members can choose from all the plants
and produce we offer. Details at clearbrookfarm.com
Our Greenhouses are filling up.
Bedding plants will be available for our late April opening.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015 • 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
www.clearbrookfarm.com
All are welcome. Bring your family and friends!
Rt. 7A, Shaftsbury, VT • (802) 442-4273
United Church of Dorset, 143 Church St. Dorset, VT
(Across from the Chocolate Barn)
(802) 867-2260
OPENING
APRIL 10th!
802-293-9200
7
Otter Creek
Fun Center
1800 Route 7
Danby, VT
Danby
Miniature Golf • Cafe
Birthday Parties
Group Parties
Fundraisers
State of the Art Arcade
Games & Prizes
www.OtterCreekFunCenter.com
Manchester
1800 Route 7, Danby, VT
Page 6 Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015
He is bewitched forever who has seen,
Not with his eyes but with his vision, Spring
Flow down the woods and stipple leaves with sun…
—Vita Sackville-West
Along the river this afternoon, I found the first purple
cress and the very first hepatica. Maples were blooming
everywhere, and there were hulls on the ground from the
bloom of the high trees overhead, chinquapin oaks. A cabbage butterfly flew past me, announcing the Cabbage White
Butterfly Moon.
Tonight as I came home from church, I heard the first
toad calling from the pond. I went out into the back yard
and stood listening to him. In the west, the new moon was
setting, most of its globe veiled in the earth’s shadow. Above
it, bright Jupiter, above and to the south of Jupiter, Saturn,
and then the stars arched west into the red eye of Taurus,
to Orion, then down to Sirius and then to rising Leo. About
9:00 p.m., Casey called with another buzzard update; he’d
counted almost 50 vultures, a record number for this date,
sailing above his farm, playing in the wind: “It was a sight
to see,” he said.
The Week of the First Groundhog
It is the first mild day of March:
each minute sweeter than before,
the redbreast sings from the tall larch
that stands beside our door.
—William Wordsworth
The woods floor is covered with three inches of snow, but
the air is gentle, the wind still. A few flies are out; one tried
to bite my wrist. Crows restless. Past the mill, I found new
sprouts on the southern side of a log. A small tan moth fluttered across the path. On the way home, the first groundhog
of the year ran across the road. Starlings are migrating north
along the highway.
In the alley, I discovered a great new patch of snowdrops,
full bloom, hundreds of square feet, hidden in a backyard
bordering the alley. In my east garden, the crocus stand tight,
waiting for full sun and a little warmth to blossom.
This afternoon when the temperature rose a little above 60,
they finally trusted enough to open. When I was looking for
henbit budding, I found that the first stonecrop had emerged.
Tulip foliage was three to four inches, daylily foliage two
to three inches. A few of the aconites I planted last fall have
yellow buds, but they lie limp like naked fledglings just
emerged from their eggs.
The Pharmacy, Inc.
The Pharmacy-Northshire
Open Daily:
10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Rutland
The Week of the First Cabbage White
Your community pharmacy for over 40 years
Corner of North & Gage Streets
Bennington, VT 05201
34 Ways Lane
Manchester Center, VT 05255
(802) 442-5602
(802) 362-0390
i
i
i
i
i
Full Service Pharmacies
Medical Supplies
Orthopedic Supports
Veterinary Products
Delivery Available
Monday through Friday
Hours:
8am-7pm
8am-6pm
9am-12:30pm
9am-3pm
Monday-Friday
Saturday
Sunday-Bennington
Sunday-Manchester
A Vermont Almanack for Early Spring
by Bill Felker
And so we celebrate
renewal of the world:
happy are they who find their love therein,
their heart’s desire.
—Manuscript of Benediktbeuern
The Phases of the Flowering Moss Moon
And the Cabbage White Butterfly Moon
March 5: The Flowering Moss is full at 1:06 p.m. Also
today, the moon reaches apogee, its position farthest from
Earth. March 13: The moon enters its final quarter at 12:48
p.m. March 19: Lunar perigee: The moon is closest to Earth.
March 20: Cabbage White Butterfly Moon is new at 4:36 a.m.
March 27: The moon enters its second quarter at 2:43 a.m.
The Sun’s Progress
Equinox occurs at 12:14 a.m. The sun also enters Aries.
Daylight Savings Time
Set clocks ahead one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 8.
The Planets of March
Venus and Mars share Pisces in the west during March
evenings. Then Venus moves to Taurus, and Mars travels
to Aries, disappearing into the sunset on April 18. Jupiter
continues his residence in Cancer, riding across the western
sky from dusk until the middle of the night. Saturn remains
in Scorpio as a morning star, very low in the southeast.
The Stars
Jupiter in Cancer follows Gemini across the middle of the
heavens this month, and Venus leads on Orion, who has now
shifted into the high west. Sirius, the Dog Star, stays a little
behind its master, low along the southern horizon. April and
May rise in the east, attached to Regulus, to Arcturus and to
the Corona Borealis.
Meteorology
Major weather systems are due to reach the Northeast on
March 3, 6 (usually the most severe front of the month), 10
(ordinarily followed by quite mild temperatures), 15, 20
(frequently the second-coldest front of March), 25 (often
followed by the best weather so far in the year), and 30.
New Moon on March 20, and full moon on March 5 are
likely to increase chances for frost and for storms as the
weather systems due near those dates reach Vermont. Perigee
on March 19 is likely to make the March 20 front stronger
than usual.
Sugaring-Time The crows above the woodlot
Are out on flapping wings,
And in the dooryard maple
An early robin sings;
Beside the barn the cattle
Stand warming in the sun,
And it is clear that spring is here
And sugaring has begun.
Go yoke the brindle oxen,
And get the draw-tubs out,
The maple grove shall echo
The teamster’s hearty shout;
Old Jack, the dog, is waiting
To help the work along;
At every tree a bucket,
In every heart a song.
Is there a season dearer
Than this to country folk,
When every old brown sugarhouse
Is sending up its smoke?
We’ve weathered the long winter
That sealed our northern clime,
And thank the Lord, we’ve lived to see
Another sugaring-time.
—FLORENCE BOYCE DAVIS
1913, Waitsfield, VT
An icy brook runs through the snowy woods in Bethel, VT.
West Pawlet Volunteer Fire
Department Pancake Breakfast
Sunday, March 8th, a
Pancake Breakfast, a charity fund-raiser event, will
be held at the West Pawlet
Volunteer Fire Department.
Sponsored by the department’s firemen, breakfast is
open from 7:30 a.m. to 11
a.m. All are welcome.
The menu includes pancakes of several varieties
including regular, chocolate
chip, blueberry and cranberry; as well as waffles, West
Pawlet’s world-famous home
fries, scrambled eggs, sausage and bacon. The menu’s
beverages include: coffee,
tea, milk and orange juice.
Breakfast prices are $8 for
12 years and up, $5 for 5-12
years and free to children
under the age of 5 years.
Breakfast profits are dedicated for the department’s
equipment and training
needs. The department is a
non-profit. Donations are appreciated and are gratefully
received. New members are
welcome.
The West Pawlet Fire
House, located at 2806
Vermont Route 153 (Main
Street) in West Pawlet, is a
handicap accessible site.
For info contact: Antonio
Landon at (802) 345-4312 or
email wp5801@yahoo.com.
Dogs, Cats & Other Pets
Available for Adoption
Tuesday 11-3:30
Wednesday 11-7
Thursday 11-3:30
Friday 11-7
Saturday 11-3:30
Sunday open house 12-3
Closed Monday
6779 Rt. 7A, Shaftsbury, VT
(802) 375-2898
www.2ndchanceanimalcenter.org
KING
VIKI
NORDIC CENTER
BOB’S MAPLE
SHOP
Open During Sugaring
Season When Boiling
Visit our display area and shop at
39 km of Groomed Nordic Trails
Classic and skate skiing,
snowshoeing and fat bikes.
591 Richville Rd, Manchester, VT
Learn to ski packages.
Cafe, ski shop, repairs.
LOWEST PRICES!
615 Little Pond Rd., Londonderry, VT
www.vikingnordic.com
802-824-3933
At the Red Barn, 3.3 miles from Rt 11/30
The Best Pure Vermont Maple Syrup!
Decorative Glass
Maple Candy
Volume Discounts
Large Inventory
OPEN DAILY • (802) 362-3882
Bob Bushee, Owner • www.bobsmapleshop.com
20 minutes from Manchester
Near Bromley, Stratton & Okemo
photo by Nancy Cassidy
Peddlers of
The Whimsical
& Unique
Old-fashioned memorabilia
and contemporary
New England merchandise.
Cheeses, sausage, dips, jellies, snacks, old-fashioned
gourmet sodas. Penny and old-time candies.
Crafts, jewelry, pottery, soaps and salves.
210 Depot Street, Manchester Center, VT
(802) 362-0915 • On Facebook
— Open seven days 10 am to 6 pm —
Watch for our Sugarhouse to Open!
See Us For
New Maple Syrup!
Come Watch Us Boil
Our Own Fresh Apples
Free Samples of Maple Syrup
and Fresh Sweet Cider
Fresh Produce —Winter Squash, Potatoes,
Gilfeather Turnips, Beets, and all your
favorite vegetables and fruits. Our own Cider.
From Our Own Greenhouses — Kale, Chard,
Lettuce, Leeks, Herbs, and Salad Greens,
Homemade Baked Goods—Fresh Fruit Pies,
Pastries, Cookies, Bread. Vermont Cheeses.
Jams, Jellies, and Honey. Homemade Fudge in
20 Varieties. Our Own 2015 Maple Syrup,
Greenhouses Opening Late March
Come Walk-Through and Step into Spring!
See Us for Easter Plants
Gift Certificates!
Rt. 11/30,
Manchester, VT
(802) 362-3083
Rt. 30, Newfane, VT
(802) 365-4168
Rt. 9, W. Brattleboro, VT
(802) 254-0254
Open Year-Round
9 am – 7 pm daily
“Buy Direct From a Farmer”
duttonberryfarm.com
Facebook—Dutton Berry Farm
Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015 Page 7
Secrets of New England Cooking
Springtime Maple
Circa 1946 by Ella Shannon Bowles
and Dorothy S. Towle
It is always a miracle when spring comes back to New
England. Long before the first bluebird saucily skims by the
kitchen window there are faint hints of the return of spring.
You feel it in your bones even when the stone walls are hidden
under deep drifts of snow. If you live in the sugar country—in
Vermont, in New Hampshire, in Maine—early in February
before the freezing nights and thawing days of sugar weather
set in, you begin to think of sap dripping in the buckets hung
on the maples, of sweet steam rising from the sugarhouse
evaporator, of new maple molasses on breakfast pancakes.
New Englanders have used maple sugar since pioneer days.
They learned the secrets of making it from the Indians. In
fact, methods of making maple honey and sugar have not
changed in their essentials since the Indian women hung elm
bark buckets on the trees to receive, the “sweet water,” and
threw hot stones into the sap to make it boil.
Everyday maple
A century ago, maple, as most people called it, was commonly used on the table to sweeten the breakfast porridge and
the evening cup of tea. The treasured cone of white sugar in
its blue or brown paper wrapping was scraped only to make
the finest cake or to serve guests at special teas.
Later when big barrels of granulated sugar were on sale in
all grocery stores, maple still remained a staple pantry item.
Children were given pails of maple sugar for their own use,
and their mothers were lavish with it in their cooking. A
few pennies bought delicious heart-shaped sugar cakes and
crinkly edged patties, and cans of maple syrup and pails of
sugar were on sale at farmhouse and store.
AN OLD FASHIONED VERMONT MAPLE SUGAR CAMP
Recipes for Maple Sweets and Treats Sugar-on-Snow
Fill large pans with closely packed snow. If you cannot get
snow, use a flat cake of ice. Boil the maple syrup until it will
wax, that is form a “soft” hard ball when dropped in cold
water. Drop the syrup by large spoonfuls on the snow. It will
form into shapes that may be twisted on forks or wooden
A great addition to your kitchen
skewers and lifted from the pan. Serve with plain doughnuts,
There are many New England cooks who will not get along pickles, and coffee.
without maple products. In a way, both syrup and sugar are
Waumbek Ham Steak
luxury items, but still they are in great demand.
We have told you here how to prepare Sugar-on-Snow, 1 slice ham
4 sweet potatoes, boiled and
or leather aprons or frogs, if you prefer the country names. 1 cup maple syrup
peeled
This is always served at the sugaring-off parties held in the
Fry
the
slice
of
ham
until
browned.
Slice the sweet potatoes
sugarhouses. But you can have sugar-on-snow if you are
and
put
in
the
frying
pan
with
the
ham.
Add the maple syrup
miles from a maple orchard. All you need are a can of maple
and cook until the potatoes are browned and the syrup is
syrup and a pan full of clean snow.
Maple syrup and maple sugar give a delicious flavor to both almost absorbed. Serves six.
boiled and baked ham. Use them as you would use molasses
Maple Butternut Muffins
or brown sugar. We have given a special rule for cooking a
2
cups
fl
our
3 tbsp. melted shortening
slice of ham with maple syrup and sweet potatoes, a dish
2½
tsp.
baking
powder
1 egg
that was famous in a well-known mountain resort hotel..
1 cup milk
If you have not tried maple sugar or maple syrup in muf- ½ tsp. salt
½ cup butternuts
fins and rolls, you have a real treat in store, particularly if 2 tbsp. maple spread
butternuts are added. Butternuts are a natural combination Sift the dry ingredients. Mix the maple spread with the melted
with anything maple.
shortening and add the egg. Stir together until smooth. Mix
in the milk gradually, and add to the dry ingredients. Remove
Cooking with maple a New England tradition
the black skins from the butternuts. Chop the nuts and add
A White Mountain tearoom popular in the 1920s was them to the muffin mixture, and stir in quickly. Turn the batter
noted for its delicious cinnamon toast. The secret was the into well-greased muffin tins and bake twenty minutes in a
use of maple sugar in place of the white sugar usually mixed hot oven, 425°F. Makes one dozen muffins.
with cinnamon. French toast also is, improved if the toast is
buttered while hot and sprinkled with shaved maple sugar.
Maple Pinwheel Rolls
One of our most prized recipes was given us by a lineal Use your favorite recipe for yeast rolls or for baking powder
descendant of Governor Bradford of old Plymouth. Five biscuits. Turn the dough on the molding board and roll out
generations of women have made these delicious thin cakes to about half an inch thick. Brush with melted butter and
for the family’s Easter dinner dessert. They are called, for a cover with on-half cup of shaved maple sugar. Sprinkle with
reason nobody can no explain, Hammond’s ears. We have chopped butternuts or walnuts. Roll up like jelly roll and
included here the recipe for them.
slice. Set the slices and end in a well-greased baking pan
and spread the tops with butter. Bake in a hot over, 475°F,
for about twenty minutes.
1837 Greek Revival House for Sale —Danby, VT
Ten-room house, original features. With post and beam antique carriage house. Buildings
need restoration. Just under two
acres, beautiful views, close to
Long Trail. Asking $95,000. Call
for details: (802) 772-7463.
Old-Fashioned Maple Sugar Cream Cake
1 cup maple sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon soda
2 cups flour
1 cup sour cream
Granulated maple sugar
Mix the maple sugar with the egg and beat thoroughly.
Dissolve the soda in a little cold water and stir into the sour
cream. Combine the mixtures. Sift the cinnamon and salt
with the flour and fold in. Sprinkle the top with granulated
maple sugar. Bake in a seven-by-ten-inch pan for half an
hour in a moderate oven, 350°F. Serve hot or cold, plain or
with whipped cream.
H.N. Williams Store
Family Owned and Operated Since 1840
Merck Forest &
Farmland Center
Maple Whipped Cream
1 cup cream
¹/3 cup maple spread
Whip the cream until stiff. Add the maple spread and beat
slowly until well mixed. Then beat rapidly until firm.
Flo’s Maple Custard Pie
3 eggs
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon flour
3 cups milk
2 teaspoons white sugar
Uncooked pie shell
½ cup soft maple sugar
Beat the eggs slightly. Mix the flour with the white sugar and
combine with the maple sugar. Stir into the eggs and add the
salt. Heat the milk and pour slowly over the mixture. Arrange
the pie shell in a deep nine-inch crockery pie plate. Build up
the edges and flute them with the thumb and forefinger. Prick
the bottom and sides of the pie shell with a fork. Turn in the
egg mixture and bake in a hot oven, 400°F, for ten minutes,
then reduce to 325°, and bake until the custard is set. The
secret of this pie is not to beat the eggs too much, to heat
the milk, and to get the pie shell baked during the first ten
minutes of baking. If you prefer, prick the pie shell with a
fork and bake for a few minutes in a hot oven. Then remove
and turn in the filling and continue baking like custard.
Easter Hammond’s Ears
2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Make a hole in the
center of the mound of flour and break in one unbeaten egg.
Mix well. Then make another hole, break in another unbeaten
egg, and mix thoroughly. Continue until the four eggs are
combined with the flour. When the eggs are mixed in, the
flour should be of the consistency of pie crust. Add more
flour, if necessary. Turn the dough on a molding board and
divide into twelve equal parts. Roll each section as thin as
paper and to the size of a dinner plate. Pile one “ear” on top
of the other with a little flour between them. Fry in deep hot
fat, one at a time. As you fry them, put each one in a pan and
pour maple syrup over it. Fry another ear, place on top, and
cover with maple syrup. Do this until all the ears are fried.
Serve hot, with more maple syrup if necessary. Serves six.
Baked Pears in Maple Syrup
6 large cooking pears
¾ cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Peel the pears and cut in halves. Put in a baking dish and
turn the lemon juice and maple syrup over them. Cover the
dish and bake in a very slow oven, not over 275 degrees F.,
for four hours. Serves six.
New England Maple Salad Dressing
¼ cup lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon flour
Speck of pepper
½ cup maple syrup
1 cup cream
Mix the flour with the lemon juice until there are no lumps.
Stir in the maple syrup. Cook until it thickens, stirring constantly. Add the seasonings. When the mixture is cool, whip
the cream and fold in. Serve on any fruit salad.
1820 HOUSE
OF
Rain Defender Rutland
Thermal-Lined Hooded
Zip-Front Sweatshirt
ANTIQUES
Trumbull Flannel
Plaid Shirt
Flannel Dungaree
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Original Equipment Since 1889™
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Clothes That Last
2732 RT. 30, DORSET, VT 05251
(802) 867-5353
Page 8 Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015
Part of Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’
Open House Weekend
One Block Off Rt. 7
82 South Main Street
Danby, Vermont • 802-293-2820
Open Daily 10–5, closed Tues & Wed
photo by Dan Sullivan
Phil Warren and his team of Belgian draft horses take visitors on a ride during the sugaring celebration at Merck Forest and Farmland Center in Rupert, VT.
Rupert, VT
Come to the Annual Maple Celebration and Pancake
Breakfast at Merck Forest & Farmland Center
Sweet! It’s time again for
Merck Forest and Farmland Center’s Annual Maple
Celebration and Pancake
Breakfast. The breakfast is
part of the Vermont Maple
Sugar Maker’s Open House
weekend, and it will be on
March 28 and 29, 2015 from
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Merck Forest and Farmland Center invites visitors
and members to join us for
the celebration. A community event, the breakfast honors
the hard work that went into
the year’s sugaring operation,
and it celebrates the outcome
of sugaring: delicious maple
syrup! Come on out for great
food and family fun.
On either Saturday or
Sunday, take a horse-drawn
wagon or sleigh ride up to
the Frank Hatch Sap House
where our staff will serve
MFFC-raised pork breakfast sausages, locally-grown
eggs, pancakes drizzled with
Merck’s Vermont-certified
organic syrup, and coffee
and juice.
Everyone is encouraged to
explore the workings of the
sugaring operation (we will
be boiling!), step over to the
sugar maple tapping demonstrations, discover the farm,
participate in the children’s
activities, and check the barn
for newborn lambs.
As always, feel free to
explore our 30 miles of trails
during your visit-and the
sugarbush!
The cost for the maple
celebration and pancake
breakfast is $10 for adults,
$5 for children 4-12, and
under age 4 free! We are also
looking for volunteers to help
out at the breakfast. If you are
interested in volunteering,
please give the Visitor Center
a call at (802) 394-7836.
Merck Forest and Farmland Center’s mission is
to teach, demonstrate and
sustain a working landscape.
MFFC’s 3,100-acre property,
in the Taconic Mountains of
southwestern Vermont, is
open to the public daily.
With no admission fee,
the public is invited to spend
time on the farm and enjoy
30 miles of trails for hiking,
cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and horseback riding. Cabin rentals area also
available year-round.
Subscribe to the
Vermont
Country Sampler
“Bring Home the Vermont”
“We All Know and Love”
Merck Forest and Farmland Center, 3270 Rt. 315,
Rupert, VT. www.merck
forest.org. (802) 394-7836.
Join the Adventure, Join the
Green Mountain Club!
Protecting and Maintaining
Vermont’s Long Trail Since 1910
4711 Waterbury-Stowe Rd., Waterbury Center, VT 05677
(802) 244-7037 • www.greenmountainclub.org
A family enjoys the pancake breakfast at Merck Forest &
Farmland Center in Rupert, VT
hand forged iron
Vermont Forgings
Come See a Working
Blacksmith Shop
& Gallery
The Tinmouth Contra Dance
Friday, March 20
8–11 p.m.
(802) 446-2928
www.tinmouthvt.org
All dances are taught. Come on time if
you are a beginner. Exuberant dancers of
all ages welcome. Admission: $9 adults,
$7 teens, free for 12 and under.
41 Cook Dr. at Rt. 7, just south of Wallingford, Vt
Tinmouth
Community Center
Open daily — 802 446 3900 — vermontforgings.com
573 Rt. 140 in downtown Tinmouth, VT
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Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015 Page 9
In Sugarin’ Time It’s sugarin’ time up country, and settin’ here in town
I seem to hear the “drip, drip, drip” of sap a tricklin’ down,
Into them wooden buckets in our old sugar place;
Afore Josiah died, and our only daughter Grace,
Insisted ’twasn’t noways safe for me to live alone
Up in that old brown farm-house that long’s I live I own.
And naught would do but I must come and stay along o’ her
Where sugarin’ might be hayin’ time, and all this bustlin’ stir;
Where smells o’ spring, and tricklin’ sap, and wild flowers never come.
There ain’t no chance for such things around Grace’s city home;
And sugarin’ time no different ain’t from summer or from fall.
I wisht Josiah ’n me was back—a-workin’ hard and all.
The children on these brick-paved walks they make me think o’ Jim,
What we had hoped would stay by us—the farm was meant for him.
He died when he was twenty. Yes, there was young Josiah,
Professor in a college now, with hope of something higher.
And Grace, our girl, she married what they called a railroad king,
And lives on Beacon Street, in all the styles that she can swing.
But all the same when April comes, I see ’em all agin,
Jest runnin’ wild around that farm, them three, and in
All sorts of mischief daily, from early spring to fall.
I wisht that we was back there now —a-workin’ hard and all.
I seem to see the tossels shakin’ out upon the trees,
I seem to smell the perfume of the May-flowers in the breeze.
I seem to feel the summer a-coming ’crost the hills.
I seem, up in the pastur’, to hear the sharpen’ of the blades.
I hear the cattle lowin’, I go berryin’ in the glades;
I smell the harvest ripenin’ over in the corner lot.
I see Josiah bringin’ home that last new pair he bought.
I remember how together, when the children went away—
Grown big and married—by the fire we sat at close of day.
And how together we had lived there fifty year—come fall.
I wisht Josiah ’n me was back—a-workin’ hard and all.
***
It’s sugarin’ time up country, but never once agin
Shall I, now goin’ on eighty, see the spring a-comin’ in
The old way, thru’ the maple trees, ’crost the pasture’s brown;
For I must stay—in sugarin’ time—on Beacon Street in town.
The children never, as of old, shall I tuck in at night,
Their little feet so tired, but their happy hearts so light.
They wouldn’t go back if they could, and I’m too old they say,
And since Josiah isn’t there, I let them have their way.
It’s sugarin’ time up country, though, and memories, like the sap,
Start up and set me longin’ for Mother Nature’s lap—
And him, and Jim—the farm, the hens, the horses in the stall,
It’s sugarin’ time up country, I’m homesick—that is all.
— HELEN M. WINSLOW
1890, ROXBURY, MA
A young guest enjoys her sugar-on-snow at the annual Guilford Community Church
Sugar-on-Snow Supper in Guilford, VT. This year the supper is on March 21. You can find
sugar-on-snow all over Vermont especially during March at church suppers and festivals.
The Old Farmer’s Almanack
For the Year of Our Lord 1854
Visit our blog and join the movement.
March—Temperance
is My Physic
learn.uvm.edu/foodsystemsblog
Pure cold-water bathing is
good. Some, however, prefer
rum; but this is too apt, by
mistake, or some other cause,
to get into the throat, and so
go down the wrong way, thus
causing everything else to go
wrong.
The love of ease and the
love of grog, combined together, form a most dangerous disease.
Captivating Stories from Castleton
The Vanished
Landmarks Game
Vermont Stories from
West of Birdseye
by Pamela Hayes Rehlen
$20 (plus $5 s&h)
Farmers and mechanics,
who, generally, are engaged
in minding their own business, mostly steer clear of
diseases brought on by a love
of lounging.
But hold—how the wind
whistles! The forest cracks!
Down tumble the fences, and
over goes the old sheep shed.
No fear of dyspepsy in the
elements. I like the winds.
Let them blow “till they crack
their cheeks!”
A Food Co-op
Old-time and present-time
people and places from
west of Vermont’s Birdseye
Mountain. Here are
their stories.
by Pamela Hayes Rehlen
$17 (plus $5 s&h)
The Blue Cat was first
immortalized in an embroidered
carpet from 1836, later in
Catherine Coblentz’ 1949
children’s story, The Blue Cat of
Castle Town. Now he returns to
tell his mesmerizing tale of the
past 150 years.
Order from the Castleton Village Store
P. O. Box 275, Main St., Castleton, VT 05735
(802) 468-2213 • castletonvillagestore@gmail.com
Visa, MC and AmEx accepted
Also available at a number of Vermont bookstores
Page 10 Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015
April—Sow Well,
Reap Well
No stopping now to see
the pigeons fly. Our Yankee soil has grown old, and
needs working and enriching.
Plough well, if you would
sow well and reap well. See
all nature in motion! No, not
all—there is a knot of fellows
that form an exception. They
belong to the Standabout
family, and are of the tribe of
the Gossips. Not very profitable associates.
Spring time—now is the
time to spring, especially
if you are looking ahead to
reaping time. Let him step
out of the way, he who is
unwilling in this matter to put
his shoulders to the wheels.
In downtown Poultney
Great Bulk Foods
By the pinch or by the pound
The Blue Cat
And The River’s Song
I like the Ides of March.
Here is an example for us all
to be stirring—yes, to some
honest and useful purpose.
Go to, now, and let your
practice show that you are
resolved to abide by the good
rule of “love thy neighbor as
thyself.”
stonevalleymarket.com
Sun–Fri:
10–6
Saturday:
10–7
216 Main St., Poultney, VT • (802) 287-4550
Stop In & Check Us Out!
Matthew’s Solo Cam Bows
Archery • Guns & Ammo
Air Rifles & Lacrosse Boots
Muck Boots • Johnson Woolens
Mart’s Sporting Goods
Hunting & Fishing Supplies
85 Main St., Poultney, VT • Open 7 days
(802) 287-9022 • Martin VanBuren Jr.
Fine Chocolates • Truffles • Old-Fashioned Candies
See Us for Easter Candy!
We Ship and Deliver Locally
199 Main St, Poultney, VT
(802) 287-4621 • Tues-Sat, 2-6 pm
priscillassweetshoppe@gmail.com
Jelly
Beans!
Chocolate
Roses!
NANCY 'S PLACE
Bakery, Breakfast, Lunch Bread, Pies, Cookies & Pastries
150 Main St., Poultney, VT • (802) 287-4769
Open Wed-Fri 7 am – 2 pm, Sat & Sun 8 am – 1 pm.
Closed Mon & Tues.
Icicles and Late Snow
by Pamela Hayes Rehlen
After a late winter snowfall, I look out the upstairs window
of our house and see a new row of icicles. Icicles are one of
wintertime’s romantic accessories. Like glittering necklaces,
they hang down the front of all the big, old, south-facing
houses along Castleton’s Main Street. They are, however,
potential-disasters for the owners of these houses.
Icicles are usually found in combination with ice dams,
and ice dams always do serious damage to a building. Snow
falls onto a roof and eventually melts. As this melt water runs
down, it gets to the colder eves at the roof edge, and there
the water refreezes.
More melt water comes down and rolls over this frozen
barrier and drips down forming icicles. But some water backs
up behind the ice dam. Because it has no where else to go,
eventually, this water will seep down into the building.
That’s when upstairs bedroom wallpaper grows damp,
peels away, and long brown stains appear. The water often
travels horizontally along ceilings, away from the spot where
it entered the house. Sometimes, there’s enough of it to cause
flooding. A highly-insulated attic stops the heat loss that
melts ice and brings water inside, but most of Castleton’s
old houses don’t have highly-insulated attics.
The only way to combat the formation of ice barriers is at
the first big snowfall to get up there with a specialty rake and
clean off the roof. Immediately is the time to do it because
going up later and having to chop the barrier away once ice
photo by Pamela Hayes Rehlen
has formed is risky for the chopper and will probably lead
Icicles hang from the eaves of this house in Castleton, VT.
to broken roof slates.
This year it seems that what the weather has specialized in like Canterbury Pilgrims hailing each other as they march with laid-up slate foundations. Melting snow can flood the
is ice and penetrating cold. That’s what people say to me, how down the middle of the road.
furnaces in their primitive basements.
cold it’s been and how long it seems this cold has lasted. But
What I like when it turns really cold is that old snow settles
I didn’t used to realize many of these aspects of a lastingin the years when we’ve had heavy snowfall after snowfall, by and remains clean and picturesque. People stay in and stay into-March Castleton winter, but now I do.
March, a lot of snow can have accumulated. My husband, as quiet, waiting out the frigid temperatures, and our village
a store owner and landlord, dreads both snow accumulation feels like it must have felt in an earlier time, less hurried,
Pamela Hayes Rehlen has written and lived most of her life
and snow fall. He tells me that, for him, four or five inches and frantic, more remote and isolated.
in Castleton, VT. She is the author of many stories, articles,
of new snow equals eight hours of plowing and shoveling.
But next day the Castleton State College campus will be essays and magazine features and of two books, The Blue
I’ve always tended to concentrate on the romantic aspects a lively, sunny place. The rail trail will be a wide avenue of
Cat and the River’s Song and The Vanished Landmarks
of snow. I used to tell my children—because this is how I pure white with deep, blue-shadowed, snow in the woods
Game—Vermont Stories from West of Birdseye, available
remember it—that when I was a girl the snow would fall on either side.
at the Castleton Village Store and at a number of Vermont
in December and stay deep
Late winter with its bright bookstores.
on the ground until March. “I used to tell my children…when I was air, full sun, and established
Then it would all go out in a
snow pack is a bonanza for
few days with flooding and a girl the snow would fall in December snowmobilers, and we have
a torrentially-high Castleton and stay deep on the ground ’til March.” a high-spirited lot of them
River.
roaring and clanking through
Activates, Advocates and Educates
for Living Soils, Thriving Farms
I’d walk down to the cemetery bridge to see the water town, stopping at our store, gassing up at the pumps.
and Healthy Communities
roaring underneath where I stood. But it seems like it’s
But late snow is when, in early morning darkness, my
been a long time since we’ve had that kind of a winter. This husband and my son have to grab shovels and climb into
www.ruralvermont.org
year, once again, the snow came in December, iced-up, but the plow truck. There have been times in the past when
(802) 223-7222
mostly stayed on the ground, although every bit of it could they found that there was no place to pile up new snowfall.
be gone, suddenly and dramatically, maybe one of these They’ve also found that it’s easy to make a plowing mistake,
Join Us in Giving Voice
days in March.
for example, push up against a building, and disastrously
to Vermont’s Family
After past years’ big snows, I’d walk down the center of bury the fill pipes necessary for fuel deliveries.
Farm Heritage!
Main Street to the post office. When a lot of snow has fallen,
Then there’s the danger of an old-accumulated-snow
Check out our local artist notecards,
the plowed center of Main Street is the only place where avalanche that might come crashing down off a high roof,
including this photo from John David Geery!
anyone can walk. Post-storm, many townspeople wind up sometimes denting in the hood of a car. We own early houses
Rural Vermont
Becky‛s Sewing and
Horse Blanket Repair
Repair of Rips, Tears, & Straps.
Cleaning, Water-Proofing, & Hardware
Replacement. Personalization,
Embroidery, & Alteration Available!
Becky Higgins (802) 438-2054
horseblanketrepair@live.com
CALL ME, I CAN FIX THEM!!
4522 Walker Mtn. Rd., Clarendon Springs, VT
Education Center at Kehoe
Natural resource education, outdoor
recreation, and a meeting space for the
Green Mountain Conservation Camp
program, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife
Department, and the local community.
After School Program:
Since 1954, an
organization of
Vermont enthusiasts
whose objective is to
visit the state’s 251
towns and cities.
www.vt251.com
(802) 234-5039
• Great prices
• Knowledgeable staff
• Personal service
• Big city selection in a country store
We are the area’s premier wine spot.
Castleton Village Store (802) 468-2213
Open 8am - 9pm Daily
www.CastletonVillageStore.com
Saving the Last Great Places
Phone: (802) 229-4425
Website: www.tnc.org
27 State St, Montpelier, VT 05602
Exploring the Wild
April 1, 8, 22 and 29, 2015
Ali Thomas, Education Coordinator
for VT Fish & Wildlife, and staff,
explore the forests and meadows
overlooking Lake Bomoseen teaching
about wildlife and habitats.
For Castleton Elementary and Middle School students.
A bus will bring them after school. Fee: $10. For registration or info, contact: Amy at Castleton Recreation
Dept. at castletonreccomm@gmail.com and Ali Thomas
at Alison.Thomas@state.vt.us or (802) 371-9975.
636 Point of Pines Road, Castleton, VT 05735
(802) 265-2279 • Education Center at Kehoe on Facebook
‫ﱙﱚﱙ‬
Spikes & Wax Worms
‫ﱙﱚﱙ‬
Certified Live Bait
TOM’S
Bait &
Tackle
Just west of Rt. 30
Route 4A, Bomoseen VT
‫ﱙﱚﱙ‬
Open 7 Days a Week
Hours: Mon–Sat 5 am – 6 pm, Sundays till 3 pm
(802) 265-8654 • tomsbait@comcast.net • Rob Steele
FLANDERS
FARM STAND & GREENHOUSES
NATURALLY GROWN PRODUCE FROM OUR
FAMILY FARM IN CASTLETON & POULTNEY
Variety of Winter Squashes, Onions.
Homemade Pickles, Jams & Jellies.
Ray of Sunshine Bakery Products.
Grass-Fed Beef & Pork
Grain for Your Farm Animals from Depot Feeds
At Affordable Prices
Open Daily 10 am to 6 pm • Weather Permitting
After Dec. 24 you can call in seven days a week to
order and pick-up all meats, winter squash, onions, etc.
Rt. 30, Castleton, VT • ½ mile south of Castleton Corners
802-747-8119 • flandersfarm@gmail.com
Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015 Page 11
Vermont
Map
“Pudding Chomeur”
Maple Pudding Cake
1¼ cups maple syrup
¾ cup heavy whipping
2 tsp. cider vinegar
cream
1
⁄3 cup sugar
6 tbsp. softened butter
1 large egg
½ tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup cake flour
Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven
to 350. Stir together maple syrup, heavy cream, cider
vinegar and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan and bring
to a boil, then remove from heat. Beat together butter
and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and
fluffy, about one minute. Add the egg and vanilla, then
beat until just combined (batter will be thick). Sift flour
and baking powder together into egg mixture and stir
with a rubber spatula until just combined. Pour 1⁄3 cup
syrup mixture into baking dish. Divide batter in bowl
into six mounds with rubber spatula and spoon each
mound onto syrup mixture in eight-inch square (twoinch deep) baking dish, spacing mounds evenly. Pour
remaining syrup mixture over and around the mounds.
Bake until topping is golden and firm to the touch, 25
to 30 minutes. Serve warm, with creme fraiche or sour
cream if desired. Serves six.
Benson
Vermont Country Dining at its Best
As always we serve real good, real food.
We still bake our own bread and pies, and we serve
our famous chicken and biscuits every Wednesday.
Breakfast,
Lunch & Dinner
Every Day
Marlboro
— Daily Specials —
Full Service Bar
Just Over the Hill in Benson, VT • (802) 537-2755
“Wheel” Cater to You. Let us bring our famous food to your next party.
Poor Will’s
Almanack for 2015
by Bill Felker
Since 1984, A Traditional Guide
To Living in Harmony With the Earth
— Send $14.95 to —
Bill Felker, 316 S High St,, Yellow Springs OH 45387
RESTAURANT
s
’
n
u
b
h
Rat
MAPLE SUGAR HOUSE
Open
Sat. & Sun.
7 am – 1 pm
518-642-1799
Off Rt. 22 In North Granville, NY.
Visit a Vermont Maple Sugarhouse This Spring!
Audubon Vermont, 255 Sherman Hollow Rd., Huntington, VT. (802) 434-3068. vt.audubon.org.
Baird Farm, 65 West Rd., Chittenden, VT. Robert Baird,
(802) 483-2963. www.bairdfarm.com.
Bragg Farm Sugarhouse and Gift Shop, 1005 VT Rt.
14 North, East Montpelier, VT. Doug and Barb Bragg, (802)
223-5757. www.braggfarm.com.
Bushee Family Maple Farm, 232 Quarry Hill Rd.,
Danby, VT. Kenneth Bushee, (802) 293-5037. www.vermont
maplesweets.com.
Couture Maple Shop / Bed and Breakfast, 560 VT Rt.
100, Westfield, VT. Jacques and Pauline Couture, (802) 7442733. www.maplesyrupvermont.com.
Dakin Farms, 5797 Rt. 7, Ferrisburgh VT. Sam Cutting
IV, (802) 425-3971. www.dakinfarm.com.
Dutton Berry Farm, 3083 Depot St., Manchester Ctr,
VT. Paul and Wendy Dutton, (802) 365-4622.
Evans Maple Farm, 61 Spaulding Hill Rd., East Dummerston, VT. Faith Evans, (802) 257-0262. www.evans
maplefarm.com.
Goodrich’s Maple Farm, 2427 US Rt. 2, Cabot, VT.
Glenn and Ruth Goodrich, (802) 426-3418. www.goodrichmaplefarm.com.
Green Mountain Sugar House, 820 Rt. 100 N, Ludlow,
VT. Doug and Ann Rose, (802) 228-7151. www.gmsh.com.
Green’s Sugarhouse, 1846 Finel Hollow Rd., Poultney,
VT. Richard and Pam Green, (802) 287-5745. www.greenssugarhouse.com.
KandS Ruane Maple Sugar Farm, 128 Mountain View
Rd., Tinmouth, VT, Kevin and Sherri Ruane. (802) 446-3105.
Watch for signs! www.rathbunsmaple.com
French Toast and Waffles • Old Fashioned Oatmeal
and Eggs many styles • Sausage Gravy & Biscuits
Rathbun’s is family-owned operating since 1961.
A place where people are greeted with a smile
and feel the comforts of home.
Come Watch Us Boiling!
Wagon rides with Clydesdale draft horses
on the weekends when we are boiling.
Page 12 Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015
The Book Shed
(for 17 years your local used book store)
Is now Your New Book Store
with our own Pure Maple Syrup…
Specializing in Homemade Pancakes
Why drive to Burlington, Manchester, or Saratoga? Call or
come in and order any new or in print book, pick it up in
two days, pay list price! (Overnight delivery as low as $5)
We still have the books you want, or we can get them.
Lake & Stage Roads, Benson VT
(802) 537-2190 • thebookshed.com
Open Wed–Sun, 10–6
Worth a visit? One of the best
in New England says Yankee Magazine!
Krueger-Norton Sugarhouse, 780 Button Hill Rd.,
Shrewsbury, VT. Art Krueger and Trish Norton, (802) 4923653. www.kruegernortonmaple.com.
Limlaw Family Maple Farm, LLC, 246 VT Rt. 25,
West Topsham, VT. Bruce Limlaw, (802) 439-6880. www.
limlawmaplefarm.com.
Merck Forest and Farmland Center, Sugarhouse Address: 3270 Rt. 315, Rupert, VT. Laurie Martin, (802) 3947836. www.merckforest.org.
Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks, 1168 County Rd.,
Montpelier, VT. Burr Morse, (802) 223-2740. www.morse
farm.com.
Shelburne Sugarworks, 746 Shelburne-Hinesburg Rd.,
Shelburne, VT. Steven Palmer, (802) 233-4408. www.shel
burnesugarworks.com
Silloway Maple, 1089 Silloway Rd., Randolph Ctr, VT.
David Silloway, (802) 728-3625. www.sillowaymaple.com.
Smith Maple Crest Farm LLC, 2450 Lincoln Hill Rd.,
Shrewsbury, VT. Jeff and Mary Smith, (802) 492-2151. www.
smithmaplecrestfarm.com.
Sugar and Spice Restaurant and Gift Shop, 43 Rt. 4,
East Mendon, VT. (802) 773-7832. vtsugarandspice.com.
Sugarbush Cheese and Maple Farm, 591 Sugarbush
Farm Rd., Woodstock, VT. Lawrence and Elizabeth Luce,
(802) 457-1757. www.sugarbushfarm.com.
Wood’s Cider Mill and Sugar House, 1482 Weathersfield
Center Rd., Springfield, VT. Willis and Tina Wood, (802)
263-5547. www.woodscidermill.com.
For a full listing of sugarhouses around Vermont visit
the Vermont Maple Sugar Maker’s Association at www.
vermontmaple.org.
Fashion Corner
Bridal Gowns • Bridesmaid Gowns
Mother of the Bride Dresses
Flower Girl Dresses • Tuxedos
Shoes • Prom Dresses
Special Occasion Jewelry
4325 Main St., Port Henry, NY • (518) 546-7499
Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri 10 am–5 pm, Sat 10 am-3 pm
Vermont Country
Calendar
See the end of the daily event calendar for ongoing
activities; museums, exhibits, and galleries; community
meals; farmers markets; community dances and music;
horseback riding and sleigh rides, and recreation and
nature centers.
14th Annual Vermont Maple
Open House Weekend
DAILY EVENTS
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22
BRATTLEBORO. 59th Annual Winter Carnival.
Something for everyone. Free admission. Check website
for schedule. On Main Street. (802) 254-4565. www.
brattleborowintercarnival.org. www.commonsnews.org.
ESSEX JUNCTION. 16th Vermont State RV and
Camping Mega Show. Over 100,000 square feet of
RV’s Inside and Out. Admission: adults $7, children
under 16 free with adult. Parking is free. 10 am – 5 pm.
Champlain Valley Expo, 105 Pearl St. (772) 631-7920.
www.eastcoastshows.com.
PERU. Kare Andersen’s 30th Annual Tele Fest. Come rip
with some of the best tele skiers in the East! Great tele
events, annual Race, clinics and fun for the entire family.
Learn what tele-skiing is all about! Bromley Mountain Ski
Resort, 3984 Rt. 11. (802) 824-5522. www.bromley.com.
STOWE. 70th Annual Stowe Derby. One of the oldest
and most unique ski races in North America. Race from
the top of Mt. Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak to the
historic village of Stowe on one pair of skis! The ultimate
test of a skiers ability. (802) 253-7704 x 22. stowederby@
teammmsc.org. www.skireg.com/3735. stowe.com.
WOODSTOCK. Billings Farm Sleigh Ride Week. Horsedrawn sleigh rides, tours of the dairy farm and farmhouse,
and a variety of activities. Admission: adults $14, 62 &
up $13, ages 5-15 $8, 3-4 $4, under 3 free. 10 am – 4 pm.
Billings Farm & Museum, Rt. 12 & River Rd. (802) 4572355. www.billingsfarm.org.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24
RUTLAND. Program: Birding in Costa Rica. A group of
Rutland Audubon members visited Costa Rica in March
2014. They will share their adventure with slides of birds,
plants and other wildlife. Free. 7 pm. Fox Room, Rutland
Free Library, 10 Court Street. (802) 773-1860.
rutlandfree.org.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25
MONTPELIER. Farmers Night 2015 Free Concert
Series. Seven Times Salt performs music from the
American colonies, from the first settlers at Plimoth to
their descendants on the eve of the Revolution. 7:30 pm.
State House Chamber, Vermont State House. (802) 4798500. vermonthistory.org.
RUTLAND. Winter Vermont Farmers’ Market. Local
produce, crafts, prepared foods. Live music. EBT and
debit cards. Saturdays 10 am – 2 pm and Wednesdays
4-7 pm. Vermont Farmers, Food Center at 251 West
St. in downtown Rutland. For info contact Doug Patac
(802) 753-7269, info@vtfarmersmarket.org www.
vtfarmersmarket.org. Wednesdays through April 29.
BURLINGTON. Comedy—Craig Ferguson’s Hot &
Grumpy Tour: Walking the Earth. The host of CBS’s The
Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Tickets: $52.25,
$41.75, $31.25. 8 pm. Flynn Center for the Performing
Arts, 153 Main St. (802) 863-5966. flynncenter.org.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27
BURLINGTON. 20th Annual Magic Hat Mardi Gras
Weekend. Friday night music at Higher Ground. Saturday
noon in downtown Burlington pre-parade musical
performances, costume contest, free photo booth, and other
activities lining Church Street. Parade down Main St. with
beads, moonpies, and Lake Champlain Chocolates! Live
music on the Church Street Stage after the parade. (802)
658-2739. www.magichat.net. Through February 28.
ESSEX JUNCTION. The Vermont Flower Show—
“Spring Reflections.” Landscaped central display and
over 90 vendors. Educational seminars and workshops,
a family room with activities and entertainment, cooking
demonstrations, a bookstore, VT Certified Horticulturists,
and landscaped train display by the Vermont Railway
Society. Admission. 12-8 pm. Champlain Valley
Exposition, 105 Pearl St. (802) 878-5545. www.
greenworksvermont.org. Through March 1.
NO. CLARENDON. “Show Me Gala” Talent Show.
Performers of all ages will sing, dance, and play for
your pleasure. This non-competitive talent show is a
fundraiser for Friends of Music at Mill River Union
High School. Tickets $5 per person and $15 per
family, at the door. The snow date is March 5th at
7 pm. Hosted by the Mill River Friends of
Music. 7 pm in the Auditorium at Mill River
Union High School, 2321 Middle Rd.
birwin@rssu.org.
TINMOUTH. Contra Dance. Admission $9, $7 for
teens, 12 and under free. Refreshments available. 8 pm
at Tinmouth Community Center, Rt. 140, 5 miles west
of Wallingford. For info or directions call (802) 4462928. Tinmouthvt.org. Every fourth Friday.
Rutland Area
Farm & Food Link
(802) 417-7331
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28
CABOT. Benefit Concert with Abby and Rosie
Newton and Lyn Hardy. Tickets $12, family $25. 7:30
pm. Cabot School Performing Arts Center on Cabot
School Campus, 25 Common Rd. (802) 563-2999.
CHITTENDEN. Cross-Country Intermediate Ski
Tour—Chittenden Brook Recreation Area. The 6.5 mile
route climbs steadily along beautiful Chittenden Brook
then descends to a rolling logging road, and follows the
unplowed access road back to the start. Sponsored by
the Catamount Trail Association. Free and open to CTA
members and non-members. For meeting time and place
contact Craig Hadden at cwhadden76@gmail.com or call
(802) 234-5218. catamounttrail.org.
ESSEX JUNCTION. The Vermont Flower Show—
“Spring Reflections.” Landscaped central display and over
90 vendors. Admission. 10 am – 8 pm. Champlain Valley
Exposition, 105 Pearl St. (802) 878-5545.
www.greenworksvermont.org. Also March 1.
ESSEX JUNCTION. 14th Annual Essex Winter Carnival
and Soup Cookoff. Music, story telling, snow sculptures,
snowshoe and cross-country ski demonstrations, great
food, refreshments, and so much more. Plan your soup
recipes for the Chili Cook-Off! Enjoy this wonderful day
with your family in celebration of winter. 10 am – 3 pm.
Albert D. Lawton Intermediate School, 104 Maple St.
(802) 878-1375.
HANOVER, NH. Concert: Dartmouth Symphony
Orchestra performs Copland’s Buckaroo Holiday,
Gershwin’s An American in Paris, and Dvorák’s
Symphony No. 9. Tickets: $10-$15. 8 pm. Spaulding
Auditorium, Dartmouth College. (603) 646-2422.
www.hop.dartmouth.edu.
LYNDONVILLE. Winterbike. Celebrate “Fat Biking”
with Kingdom Trails. Group rides, vendors, bonfire,
games, races, beverages. Ongoing quilt and hooked rug
display. Special winter photography exhibit by the NEK
Camera Club. Cobleigh Public Library, 14 Depot St.
(802) 626-5475. cobleighlibrary.org.
www.kingdomtrails.org.
MIDDLEBURY. Concert with Chris Smither. Blues and
folk, an American original. Part of the After Dark Music
Series. Tickets $30. Door open 6:30 pm, concert starts
7 pm. First come-first seated. Town Hall Theater,
corner of Merchants Row and S. Pleasant St.
(802) 388-0216. afterdarkmusicseries.com.
Information about participating maple syrup producers including which days they
will be open and directions
can be found on www.ver
montmaple.org
For more information or a copy of
our Locally Grown Guide, contact:
rutlandfarmandfood@gmail.com
www.rutlandfarmandfood.org
BONDVILLE. Snowshoe Backpack to Stratton Pond.
With an overnight at Stratton Pond Shelter. Tentative
route in via Stratton Pond Trail, out over Stratton
Mountain. Difficult level, must have prior winter camping
and snowshoeing experience. Sponsored by the Green
Mountain Club. Free. Non-members and newcomers
welcome. Contact leader for details: Jim Robertson at
(860) 633-7279 home or (860) 519-8310.
rober2je@westinghouse.com. jrobert685@aol.com.
BRANDON. Classical Concert: Reed, Rosin & Pedal.
Tickets: $15, pre-concert dinner available for $20.
Reservations required for dinner, starting at 6 pm. Venue
is BYOB. 7:30 pm. Brandon Music, 62 Country Club Rd.
(802) 465-4071. info@brandon-music.net.
www.brandon-music.net.
of their sugarbushes and
some have special activities
for children. There may even
be horse-drawn sleigh or
wagon rides.
No two sugarhouses are
the same so people are encouraged to visit more than
one.
There are approximately
2000 maple producers in
Vermont which is the largest U.S. producer of maple
syrup.
“Supporting Local Farms, Fresh Food,
Healthy Communities”
GENE’S BARBER SHOP
Angeline M. Joyce—Master Barber • Becky Taylor—Barber
Over 50 Years Experience Open Tues–Sat • Men $10-12 • Ladies $15 • Under 10 $8-10
292 West St., Rutland, VT • (802) 747-4773
Send for a
free guide to
over 100
campgrounds
and many
state parks
A
RUTLAND
AREA
YEAR-ROUND! INDOORS!
“WINTER”
SCHEDULE & HOURS:
10 AM 4 PM
Every
CAMPG
R
NT
O
ND
OU
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26
RANDOLPH. Concert. Two local indie bands,
TallGrass GetDown and Coquette will be performing. For
tickets call the box office at (802) 728-6464 weekdays 3-6
pm. Concert at 7:30 pm. Chandler’s Music Hall, 71-73
Main St. (802) 728-9878. www.chandler-arts.org.
VER
M
RUPERT. Winter Sleigh Rides. In a Sweetheart Sleigh
built for two; fee $150 for a 45 minute tour around the
wintry landscape of the farm and forest. Group sleigh rides
in a 12-person sleigh for $185 for 45 minutes through
the woods and through the fields. Call to reserve. Merck
Forest and Farmland, 3270 Rt. 315, west of Manchester.
(802) 394-7836. merckforest.org. Saturdays and Sundays
through March.
The 14th Annual Vermont
Maple Open House Weekend
will be held at sugarhouses
throughout Vermont, March
28–29, 2015.
The Open House Weekend
is a celebration of the maple
syrup season in Vermont and
an opportunity to visit sugarhouses throughout the state
to learn about Vermont’s first
agricultural crop of the year.
Activities during Open
House Weekend are different at each sugarhouse but
include the opportunity to
watch maple syrup being
made (weather permitting)
and to often sample syrup
and other maple products.
Some sugarhouses offer tours
SATURDAY
and
3rd SUNDAY
of the month
Choose from thousands
of unique items for your
One-Stop Shopping!
SS
N
OCIATIO
Vermont
Campground
Association
32 Main St., #368
Montpelier VT 05602
info@campvermont.com
www.campvermont.com
200 WEST ST RUTLAND
z
Corner of Forest St. at RR Crossing
802-770 -9104
CHECK FOR
SCHEDULES,
200
West
St Rutland
UPDATES
&
ike!
SPECIAL
EVENTS
www.facebook.com /
RutlandAreaFleaMarket
Owned and operated by a registered pharmacist,
The Vermont Herbal General Store has all the answers you need!
Usul & Karuna Reiki
Healings & Classes
Tai’ Chi Gung Classes
Tuesdays at 5 p.m.
Also Saturdays at 8 a.m. at
Best Western, Rt. 4, Rutland
The
Vermont
GENERAL STORE
Handmade Herbal Medicines
Crystals & Gemstones • Teas, Lotions, Capsules
578 Main St., W. Rutland, VT • (802) 438-2766
Open Tues & Wed 1-6, Thurs-Sat 12-6, Sun 1-4, closed Fri.
See us on Facebook and Twitter • www.vermontherbal.com
Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015 Page 13
Vermont Country Calendar
NORWICH. English Country Dance. Music by Trip
to Norwich: Carol Compton on keyboard, accordion, and
recorders; Thal Aylward on violin and viola. Calling by
Chris Levey. All dances taught, no partner needed. All are
welcome. Please bring a clean change of shoes for the dance
floor. Refreshments provided. Admission: $8 adults, $4
ages 25 and under. 3-6 pm. Tracy Hall, 300 Main St. (802)
785-4121. engineering.dartmouth.edu/~d26745m/localECD.
Also March 29 & April 19.
ST. ALBANS. 7th Annual Winter Carnival. Most events
in Taylor Park, downtown. 12-5 pm, open sledding at
Hard’ack. 1-4 pm, kids activities & games in Taylor Park—
snowpainting, racing, largest icicle contest, sledding on Snow
hill, tunnels. 1 pm, free horse-drawn wagon rides. 1 pm,
chainsaw carving demonstration. 2 pm, waiter & waitress
50/50 shuffle. Dusk, 6:30-7 pm, fireworks! Free with some
fees. 12-8 pm. (802) 370-2380. www.stalbansrec.com. Also
March 1.
PLAINFIELD. Concert: Heartbeat. Dynamic blend of
Eastern and Arabic music, Western rock, hip hop, jazz
and reggae. Throughout the concert, the musicians share
personal stories of growing up amidst the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict. 8 pm. Haybarn Theatre, 123 Pitkin Rd.
(802) 322-1685. meg.hammond@goddard.edu.
www.goddard.edu/concerts.
ST. JOHNSBURY. The 15th Annual Northeast Kingdom’s
Wabanaki Run—Primitive Biathlon Winter Shoot.Takes
place on snowshoes instead of cross-country skiis and
muzzleloading firearms instead of modern rifles. A target
shoot for traditional muzzleloaders, hunters, sportsmen,
reenactors, shooters, and traders. Period dress is encouraged.
9 am – 3 pm. Rain or shine on the grounds of The Caledonia
Forest and Stream Club (4½ miles north of St. Johnsbury
on US Rt. 5, then across the bridge on Pierce Rd. Follow
the signs and go .7 mile then turn left onto Field and Stream
Rd. and go a short distance to the field). For info or entry
forms call Arthur Wood, (802) 748-2528.
www.caledoniaforestandstream.com.
POULTNEY. Snowshoe Outing. Join us for a moderate
snowshoe trek through woods and fields. Sponsored by
the Green Mountain Club, Killington Section. Free. Nonmembers and newcomers welcome. Contact leader for
meeting time and place: Diane Bargiel at (413) 687-1109.
www.greenmountainclub.org.
RUPERT. Winter Sleigh Rides. In a Sweetheart Sleigh built
for two; fee $150 for a 45 minute tour around the wintry
landscape of the farm and forest. Group sleigh rides in a
12-person sleigh for $185 for 45 minutes through the woods
and through the fields. Call to reserve. Merck Forest and
Farmland, 3270 Rt. 315, west of Manchester.
(802) 394-7836. merckforest.org. Saturdays and Sundays
through March.
RUTLAND. Rutland Area Flea Market. Indoors, yearround, clean & friendly! Cozy cafe offers refreshments and
light lunch. 10 am – 4 pm. 200 West St. corner of Forest St.
(802) 770-9104. On Facebook. Every Saturday and Sunday.
RUTLAND. Winter Vermont Farmers’ Market. Local
produce, crafts, prepared foods. Live music. EBT and debit
cards. Saturdays 10 am – 2 pm and Wednesdays 4-7 pm.
Vermont Farmers, Food Center at 251 West St. in downtown
Rutland. For info contact Doug Patac (802) 753-7269,
info@vtfarmersmarket.org www.vtfarmersmarket.org.
Saturdays through May 2.
SPRINGFIELD. Workshop: Making Imaginary
Landscapes Real. Instructor: Christine Mix. Learn the
basics and visual tricks of perspective and depth,
and apply them to your own landscape painting or
drawing. Fee: $40. Materials list available. 10
am - 3 pm. Gallery at the VAULT, 68 Main St.
(802) 885-7111. www.galleryvault.org.
SWANTON. Maquam Bog Walk. Join volunteer Greg Simard
for a walk into a unique woodland/wetland bog habitat, a
traditional whitetail deer wintering area. Snow shoes may
be necessary. The walk is dependent on weather and ground
conditions. Call the refuge to register and receive updates on
the status of the walk. 8-11 am. Meet at the parking lot on
Tabor Rd. signed as “Refuge Trails Parking” located on mile
south of Rte. 78 on Tabor Rd. Missisquoi National Wildlife
Refuge, 29 Tabor Rd. (802) 868-4781.
www.fws.gov/northeast/missisquoi.
WATERBURY. Ben & Jerry’s Winter Festival. Free outdoor
festival includes 2014 flavor samples, give-aways, games, DJ
spinning fab music, free factory tours, snow sculptures. Local
food sample & sale from Green Mountain Coffee, Vermont
Butter & Cheese, Cider House BBQ & Pub. Sugar-on-Snow
(dill pickles and all), Umiak snow shoe tours (fee), VINS–
Bird on Glove program 1:00-2:30. Photo ops with mascots:
Skip from The Mountaineers, Champ from the Lake Monsters
and Ben & Jerry’s very own Mooky the Cow. Ben & Jerry’s,
1281 Waterbury-Stowe Rd. (802) 882-1240. benjerry.com.
ALDOUS
FUN ERAL HOME
Call for hours • (802) 492-2229 • anna-qs-attic.blogspot.com
& Cremation Service
Chambers Farm
44 No. Main St., Rutland, VT • (802) 773-6252
Half-price in March!
AldousFuneralHome.com • Aldous@comcast.net
Joseph Barnhart ~ Christopher Book
Rutland County
Humane Society
We Now Have
Our Own Pork!
Open: Mon–Sat 11–6
3257 Middle Road
North Clarendon, VT
(802) 775-5110
www.7csfarm.com
SUNDAY, MARCH 1
BURLINGTON. Dance Performance: “Light to Two
Shadows.” Bryce Dance Company: “To You, Around You,
About You and Breathing Under Water.” Toby MacNutt:
“One, Two.” Tickets: $20. 2 pm. Flynn Center for the
Performing Arts, 153 Main St. (802) 863-5966.
ENOSBURG FALLS. Artist Reception. Featuring pastel
artist Genie Rybicki-Judkins of Jeffersonville, painter &
wood turner Jim Foote, and painter Pat Murphy of Sheldon.
1-2:30 pm. Artist In Residence Gallery, 321 Main St.
(802) 933-6403. www.artistinresidencecoop.com.
ESSEX JUNCTION. The Vermont Flower Show—“Spring
Reflections.” Landscaped central display and over 90
vendors. Admission. 10 am – 4 pm. Champlain Valley
Exposition, 105 Pearl St. (802) 878-5545.
www.greenworksvermont.org.
FAIRFIELD. Vermont Maple Breakfast. Menu: scrambled
eggs, bacon, spiral cut ham, home fries, buttermilk pancakes,
mini-muffins, ragamuffins, fruit salad, crepe bar, coffee,
milk and orange juice. Catered by The Skinny Pancake.
Adults: $13.95, children (4-10) $7.95, plus tax. 9 am – 1 pm.
Branon’s West View Maples, 825 West St. (802) 527-2430.
branonvtorganicmaple.com. Also March 8, 15, 22 & 29.
Sugarmaker’s Secrets
( Just over the bridge from John C. Stewart & Sons)
Antiques, Collectibles,
Vintage & Gently Used Items! Old Books.
Fresh Eggs
Grass-Fed Beef
Pastured Chickens
WOODSTOCK. 5th Annual Woodstock Vermont Film
Series. See To Breathe As One on the big screen in the
museum’s theater, with high definition digital projection and
Dolby™ surround-sound. Open to the public and accessible
to people with disabilities. Tickets $11 for ages 16 and
up, $6 for ages 3-15. Saturdays at 3 pm. Billings Farm &
Museum, Rt. 12 & River Rd. To purchase tickets in advance
call (802) 457-2355. info@billingsfarm.org.
billingsfarm.org. On Selected Saturdays through April 4.
GRANVILLE NY. The Annual St. David’s Day Dinner.
A 27th Annual Gathering of the Clans Event in Honor of
WOODSTOCK. Billings Farm Winter Weekends. Tour
St. David, Patron Saint of Wales. Sponsored by Poultney
the operating dairy farm, restored 1890 Farm House, plus
Area St. David’s Society. $15.50 per person. All are
programs and activities. See A Place in the Land, the
welcome. Prepaid registration to Poultney Area St.
Academy Award nominee film in the theater. Warm up with a David’s Society requested no later than February 22nd.
cup of spiced cider. Admission: adults $14, 62 & up $13, ages 12:30 pm at A.J.’s Restaurant, Quaker St. For
5-15 $8, 3-4 $4, under 3 free. 10 am – 4 pm. Billings Farm
reservations call Jan Edwards at (802)-287-5744.
& Museum, Rt. 12 & River Rd., just north of the Woodstock
E-mail pasds88@yahoo.com.
village green. (802) 457-2355. www.billingsfarm.org.
www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pasds.
~ Anna Q’s Attic ~
5304 Rt. 103, Cuttingsville, VT
WOODSTOCK. Moonlight Ski, Snowshoe or Hiking
Outing on Mt. Tom. Bring snack to share, beverage and
candles for the cabin. Sponsored by the Green Mountain
Club. Free. For meeting time and place contact Jüergen
Ewert at (802) 457-4345. www.greenmountainclub.org.
Hours: Tues–Sat 12–5, closed Sun & Mon
765 Stevens Road, Pittsford, VT
(802) 483-6700 • www.rchsvt.org
Boardman
Hill Farm
Everyday Ways to Enjoy Maple Did you know?
Vermont Maple Syrup is nature’s healthful sweetener.
It contains minerals, vitamins and necessary amino acids.
So how about:
• On grapefruit, hot cereal and granola,
for get up and go…
• Over plain yogurt for a healthy lunch…
• On winter squash or sweet potatoes—even the kids
will like them…
• As a glaze on meat, especially ham and chicken, but
also super with pork chops…
• Over ice cream—best on vanilla, because it lets the
true maple flavor “come through.”
• Add to traditional Vermont desserts. An elegant choice
for gourmet dining…
• In coffee, tea, milk, or a milkshake (you gotta be a little
naughty!)…
• Add a tiny bit to spaghetti sauces and salad dressings
• In applesauce and definitely on baked apples
• On pancakes, waffles, and French toast
(Sugarmakers are known to bring maple syrup with
them when they travel so they won’t have to stoop to
using the artificial stuff)…
The use of Vermont Maple is limited only by your imagination. For a healthier and flavorful alternative, try it in place
of white sugar. Experiment, you’ll find it enhances many of
your favorite dishes.
West Rutland,VT
Over 25 varieties
of organic products available
through our CSA or
Subscription Gardening.
See us for local farm-raised beef,
pork, and chicken.
For information call (802) 683-4606
MASSAGE
SALT CAVE
Sign Up Now
For Our Spring CSA!
AROMATHERAPY STATION
— See us at the —
Rutland Winter Farmers Market
— Open 7 days —
Saturdays 10 am to 2 pm, through May 2nd
Wednesday 4-7 pm, through April 29th
225 West St., Rutland,VT
Page 14 Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015
Open 24 Hours Daily from
Sunday at 12 noon thru Friday at 3 pm
120 Merchant’s Row, Rutland, VT
(802) 775-8080
www.pyramidvt.com • kelleyw@pyramidvt.com
HARDWICK. The Waste Less Bonanza! Learn how
how to waste less by fixing, maintaining, reusing, and
repurposing things in four main categories: tools and
household items, food, clothing, and trash (paper, cans,
bottles, plastic bags). Watch demonstrations and bring your
own exhibits and ideas to share. Activities for all ages.
2-4 pm at the Green Mountain Technical Center Forestry
Building. (entrance is on the left traveling up main street
beyond Hazen Union High School). (802) 755-6336.
swapsisters@gmail.com.
RUPERT. Winter Sleigh Rides. In a Sweetheart Sleigh
built for two; fee $150 for a 45 minute tour around the
wintry landscape of the farm and forest. Group sleigh rides
in a 12-person sleigh for $185 for 45 minutes through
the woods and through the fields. Call to reserve. Merck
Forest and Farmland, 3270 Rt. 315, west of Manchester.
(802) 394-7836. merckforest.org. Saturdays and Sundays
through March.
RUTLAND. Rutland Area Flea Market. Indoors, yearround, clean & friendly! Cozy cafe offers refreshments and
light lunch. 10 am – 4 pm. 200 West St. corner of Forest
St. (802) 770-9104. On Facebook. Every Saturday and
Sunday.
ST. ALBANS. 7th Annual Winter Carnival. All events
take place at Hard’ack Recreation Area. 12-2 pm, free
open sledding at Hard’ack. 1 pm, chainsaw carving
demonstration. 12 pm, free family BBQ sponsored by the
Elks. 1 pm, winner of snow sculpture contest announced.
1 pm, longest beard contest. 2 pm, Ace Duct Tape Derby
(Registration begins at 1 pm) $10 per sled registration fee;
create a vessel out of duct tape and cardboard, bring it to
Hard’ack and race it! See complete rules and details on
website. (802) 370-2380. www.stalbansrec.com.
STOWE. Presentation. The Old Country Fiddler: Charles
Ross Taggart. Fiddler Adam Boyce portrays Mr. Taggart
near the end of his career, circa 1936, sharing recollections
of his life interspersed with live fiddling and humorous
sketches. Free. 3 pm. Jewish Community of Greater
Stowe, 1189 Cape Cod Rd. (802) 253-7408.
www.vermonthumanities.org.
WEST TOPSHAM. Maple Sunday Sugarhouse Breakfast
Buffet. All-you-can-eat buffet includes pancakes, waffles,
scrambled eggs, eggs fritatta, biscuits, toast, home fries,
maple French toast bake, sausage, bacon, ham, sausage
gravy, assorted fruits, donuts & beverages. Our own maple
syrup and maple cream. Cost: $13.99 (plus tax). Horse &
wagon rides. 8 am – 2 pm. Limlaw Family Maple Farm,
246 Rt. 25. (802) 439-6880. www.limlawmaplefarm.com.
Also March 8, 15, 22, 29.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4
BRATTLEBORO. First Wednesdays Humanities Lecture
Series — “Photography as Fine Art: Alfred Stieglitz and
Camera Work.” Middlebury College professor Kirsten
Hoving examines Stieglitz’s work and his advocacy for
photography as a fine art, with special attention to his
quarterly journal, Camera Work. Free. 7 pm. Brooks
Memorial Library, 224 Main St. (802) 254-5290.
www.vermonthumanities.org.
MANCHESTER. First Wednesdays Humanities Lecture
Series—”The Memoir Boom: Who, What, Why.”
Dartmouth professor and experimental memoirist Irene
Kacandes discusses current approaches to life writing and
considers why we continue to love reading about others’
lives. Free. 7 pm. Hosted by the Manchester Community
Library. First Congregational Church, 3624 Main St.
(802) 362-2607. www.vermonthumanities.org.
MIDDLEBURY. First Wednesdays Humanities Lecture
Series: “You Are Not Special . . . and Other
Encouragements.” High school English teacher and father
of four, David McCullough Jr. considers how we raise our
kids today, and why passionate engagement—rather than
success for its own sake—is critical to a fulfilling, happy
life. Free. 7 pm. Ilsley Public Library, 75 Main St.
(802) 388-4095. www.vermonthumanities.org.
NORWICH. First Wednesdays Humanities Lecture
Series: “What If Poor Women Ran the World?” Labor
historian Annelise Orleck tells the story of nine AfricanAmerican union maids in Las Vegas during the 1970s.
Hosted by the Norwich Public Library and Norwich
Historical Society. Free. 7 pm. Norwich Congregational
Church, 15 Church St. (802) 649-1184.
www.vermonthumanities.org.
RUTLAND. First Wednesdays Humanities Lecture Series:
“India Rising.” UVM history professor Abby McGowan
considers the challenges facing the new government of
India, after the sweeping victory in the 2014 elections
of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Free. 7 pm. Rutland Free
Library, 10 Court St. (802) 773-1860.
www.vermonthumanities.org.
RUTLAND. Winter Vermont Farmers’ Market. Saturdays
10 am – 2 pm and Wednesdays 4-7 pm. Vermont Farmers,
Food Center at 251 West St. in downtown Rutland.
(802) 753-7269. www.vtfarmersmarket.org.
Wednesdays through April 29.
TUESDAY, MARCH 3
HUNTINGTON. Maple Sugaring Day—Vacation Day
Camp. Tap trees in the Audubon Center’s 500-tap sugar
bush, and then collect the sap. See first-hand how an
evaporator works and gather around a campfire to discover
how people first turned maple sap into sugar. Wrap up the
day with a syrup taste test! Ages: 6-12 years. Fee:
$60/day or $165 for three days. Pre-registration
required. 8:30 am - 3:30 pm. Education Barn,
Green Mountain Audubon Center , 255
Sherman Hollow Rd. (802) 434-3068.
vermont@audubon.org. vt.audubon.org
ddd
WOODSTOCK. Cross-Country Intermediate Telemark
Ski Tour—Marsh Billings National Park. Marsh-Billings
is home to the “lost” alpine slopes of Mt. Tom ski area
plus glades linked by ungroomed trails and carriage
roads. Skiers should have skis that can for both touring
and turning, possess skills to ski in tree-filled terrain
and absolutely relish skiing downhill. Sponsored by the
Catamount Trail Association. Free and open to CTA
members and non-members. For meeting time and place
contact Lynn Fisher at fisher.lynn@gmail.com or call
(802) 672-5280. catamounttrail.org.
MANCHESTER CENTER. Book & Author Event.
Children’s author N. Griffin presents Smashie McPerter
and the Mystery of Room 11. A once-happy class is set
on edge in this humorous, highly relatable mystery
perfect for middle-grade readers. Free. 4 pm. Northshire
Bookstore, 4869 Main St. (802) 362-2200. northshire.com.
by Nancy Scarcello
Around the end of February as the days warm the
work of the sugar makers
begins. They tap thousands
of trees over hundreds of
acres for a season that lasts
on average about 4-6 weeks.
Improvements and innovations may have changed over
the years but the process remains the same—gather sap,
boil it down, and enjoy the
sweet nectar of the maples!
The Vermont Farmers
Market in Rutland, VT has
it’s fair share of vendors who
are maple producers and a
trip there in March will yield
new season maple syrup and
other maple goodies.
One of those vendors is
Hathaway Farm, a sugar
maker in Rutland, VT for
73 years. They have one of
the first oil-fired evaporators in Rutland County. The
most common innovation in
sugarings has been the use
of plastic tubing stretched
throughout the sugar bush.
And yet, each of the producers I spoke with still gathers with buckets as well.
B.J. Hathaway says they use
buckets in the cow pasture
where the animals might get
caught in the plastic tubing
but admits the buckets are
also a necessary link back
to his grandfather’s time and
the family history of their
land. B.J., who’s been in the
business all his life, revels in
the promise of spring finally
arriving with sugaring time.
For Kevin Ruane of Tinmouth, VT, who started tapping trees in high school, his
favorite part is being outside
in the woods and the boiling.
Patty Plew, a sixth generation sugar maker from Mt.
Holly, VT, claims that her
grown sons “come out of
the woodwork” when sugar
making begins. For her the
best part is the whole family
working together and the excitement of the first draw-off
of the season.
While many of us are complaining about the cold the
sugar makers are still connected to the rhythms of the
land and find warmth in the
continuum that nourishes
body, mind and spirit.
Stock up on some syrup at
the Vermont Farmers Market
and chat with the sugar makers about their craft and the
legacies that sustain them.
And don’t forget to thank
the trees!
The Vermont Farmers
Market is open every Saturday from 10 a.m. till 2
p.m. through May 2nd and
Wednesdays from 4 p.m. to 7
p.m. through April 29 at the
Vermont Farmers Food Center on West St. in Rutland,
VT. After that the market
moves outdoors to Depot
Park in downtown Rutland.
They accept debit, credit
and EBT cards for your purchases.
The Vermont Farmers
Market is located at 251
West St., in downtown Rutland, VT. (802) 753-7269.
info@vtfarmersmarket.org.
On Facebook. Visit vtfarm
ersmarket.org.
Free Calendar Listings
Send us your community or church events &
we’ll list them free of charge in our calendar.
Vermont Country Sampler
PO Box 197, N. Clarendon, VT 05759
info@vermontcountrysampler.com
ddd
Vermont Country
Calendar
New Season Maple Syrup at
The Vermont Farmers Market
Champlain Appliance Service
Parts & Service for Most Major Appliances
Dryer & Vent Cleaning
WINTER SPECIAL
*expires
3/20/15
$75*
132 Granger St
Rutland, VT 05701
(802) 776-4148
www.champlainapplianceservice.com
131 Strongs Avenue Rutland, VT
...........................................
Humidified Premium Cigars
Hand Blown Glass Pipes
Hookahs & Shisha
Roll Your Own Tobacco & Supplies
Vaporizers & Concentrates
Smoking Accessories
...........................................
(802) 775-2552
www.emporiumvt.com
(802) 775-2552 • www.evapesvt.com
*Located at the Emporium Smoke Shop
E-CIGS • VAPORIZERS • E-HOOKAHS
E-PIPES • E-CIGARS • E-LIQUIDS
Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015 Page 15
Vermont Country Calendar
THURSDAY, MARCH 5
DORSET. Hike Mother Myrick Mountain. Hike via a
series of unmarked logging roads and snowmobile trails
to the summit of Mother Myrick. Return the same way.
Total round trip distance 7.6 miles, elevation gain 2020 ft.
Bring snacks and lunch and fluids, snowshoes. Sponsored
by the Green Mountain Club Manchester Section. Meet at
11 am at the end of Nichols Rd in Dorset (ask trip leader
for directions). RSVP to Katie Adams at (802) 867-5369.
ktktadams@comcast.net.
FRIDAY, MARCH 6
FAIRLEE. Annual Winter Doe Camp. A women’s weekend
retreat for outdoor skill development, adventure, education,
camaraderie and just plain fun. Vermont Outdoor Guide
Association (VOGA). 800-425-8747. info@voga.org.
www.voga.org. Through March 8.
MANCHESTER CENTER. Book & Author Event.
Howard Bryant presents Legends: The Best Players,
Games and Teams in Baseball. Experience baseball’s
most exciting moments, World Series heroics, greatest
players, and more! Free. 6 pm. Northshire Bookstore, 4869
Main St. (802) 362-2200. www.northshire.com.
RUTLAND. Vermont Actors’ Repertory Theatre performs
The Cocktail Hour. A.R. Gurney’s comedy about a
playwright whose parents are unhappy that he’s written a
play about them. 7:30 pm. The Brick Box at Paramount
Theatre. (802) 775-0903. actorsrepvt.org. paramountvt.org.
SATURDAY, MARCH 7
BARNARD. 3rd Annual Masquerade Jazz and Funk Winter
Music Carnival Spices Season with New Orleans’ Style
Revelries. BarnArts Center for the Arts presents the Funk
Band “The ChopShop.” $20 adults, $10 students, free ages
six and under. 6-11 pm. Barnard, Town Hall. barnarts.org.
BELLOWS FALLS. Concert: Tim Ray, solo piano.
Long-time pianist for Lyle Lovett. Appearing on over
70 recordings, Tim has performed in concert with
Aretha Franklin, Bonnie Raitt, and Soul Asylum. Tickets:
$17/$13. 7:30 pm at Immanuel Episcopal Church,
20 Church St. (802) 463-3100. www.immanuelretreat.org.
BETHEL. 10th Annual Home Show and Business Expo.
Local businesses display and talk about their products.
Refreshments available. Handicap accessible. Hosted
by The Bethel Business Association. Free admission,
everyone welcome. 9 am to 3 pm at the Whitcomb
High School Gymnasium, 273 Pleasant St.
For information contact Nick Nikolaidis at
(802) 234-5064. nick@nikolaidis.com.
BRANDON. Artist Sale. Sell your art supplies and artwork.
10 am - 4 pm. Compass Music and Arts Center, 333 Jones
Drive, Park Village, 1.5 miles north of downtown. (802) 2474295. www.cmacvt.org.
SUNDAY, MARCH 8
POULTNEY. Frosty Derby. Annual ice fishing contest on
Lake St. Catherine. Sponsored by the Poultney Fish & Game
Club. Prizes awarded for largest fish in the categories of Pike,
Trout, Perch, Bass, adult and child. Contact Ed Harmon at
(802) 287-9111 for more information and ice conditions. At
Lake St. Catherine, 3034 VT Rt. 30 South. www.vtstateparks.
com/htm/catherine.htm
CHESTER. Book & Author Event. Mimi Baird and Eve
Claxton present He Wanted the Moon: The Madness and
Medical Genius of Dr. Perry Baird, and His Daughter’s
Quest to Know Him. Free. 4 pm. Misty Valley Books, on the
Green. (802) 875-3400. www.mvbooks.com.
WAITSFIELD. 40th Annual North American Telemark
Festival. The world’s largest and oldest gathering of
telemark skiers. Mad River Glen Cooperative, 57 Schuss
Pass Rd. (802) 496-3551. ski@madriverglen.com.
madriverglen.com.
RUPERT. Apple Tree Pruning Workshop. Rico Balzano,
of Little Lake Orchard in Wells, VT, will teach participants
how to care for, prune, and maintain apple trees. Bring your
own tools and gloves, and come prepared to be outside.
Registration required. Cost: $20. 9 am - noon. Merck Forest
& Farmland Center, 3270 Rt. 315. (802) 394-7836.
www.merckforest.org.
WEST PAWLET. Benefit Pancake Breakfast. A fundraiser
for the fire department. Menu includes pancakes—regular,
chocolate chip, blueberry and cranberry as well as waffles,
West Pawlet’s world-famous home fries, scrambled eggs,
sausage and bacon. Beverages include coffee, tea, milk and
orange juice. $8 for 12 years and up, $5 for 5-12 years and
free to children under 5. 7:30 am – 11 am at the West Pawlet
Volunteer Fire Department firehouse at 2806 Rt. 153, Main
RUTLAND. Winter Vermont Farmers’ Market. EBT and
debit cards. Saturdays 10 am – 2 pm and Wednesdays 4-7 pm. St. (802) 345-4312.
Vermont Farmers, Food Center at 251 West St. in downtown
WEST TOPSHAM. Maple Sunday Sugarhouse Breakfast
Rutland. (802) 753-7269, info@vtfarmersmarket.org.
Buffet. All-you-can-eat buffet includes pancakes, waffles,
www.vtfarmersmarket.org. Saturdays through May 2.
scrambled eggs, eggs fritatta, biscuits, toast, home fries,
maple French toast bake, sausage, bacon, ham, sausage
SHELBURNE. Sugar-on-Snow Party. Watch the maple sap
gravy, assorted fruits, donuts & beverages. Our own
being boiled. Maple goodies comfortable seating live music.
12-4 pm. Palmer’s Sugarhouse, 332 Shelburne Hinesburg Rd. maple syrup and maple cream. Cost: $13.99 (plus tax).
(802) 985-5054. www.palmersugarhouse.com. Weekends from Reservations available but not required. Free horse & wagon
rides. 8 am – 2 pm. Limlaw Family Maple Farm, 246 Rt. 25.
March through April.
(802) 439-6880. www.limlawmaplefarm.com. Also March
15, 22, 29.
th
WAITSFIELD. 40 Annual North American Telemark
Festival. The world’s largest and oldest gathering of telemark
TUESDAY, MARCH 10
skiers. Mad River Glen Cooperative, 57 Schuss Pass Rd.
(802) 496-3551. ski@madriverglen.com. madriverglen.com.
BURLINGTON. Burlington Irish Festival. A fun-filled and
Also March 8.
informative week, celebrating Irish-American culture and
community. Music, lectures, movies, drama and dance. For a
WILDER. Concert. Opera North presents beloved American complete schedule of events and more information visit
classics from composers Aaron Copland, George Gershwin,
www.burlingtonirishheritage.org. March 10-21.
and Cole Porter, as well as selections from the upcoming
2015 Summer Season. 7 pm. Tickets: $15/$30. The Wilder
RUTLAND. 2015 Rutland Business Show. Over 90 area
Center. (603) 448-4141. www.operanorth.org. Also March 8
businesses exhibiting everything from home services and
at 3 pm.
products, automobiles, health care, retailers and much much
more. Great door prizes, raffles and lots of fun! Admission:
WOODSTOCK. 5th Annual Woodstock Vermont Film
$3. Free parking and shuttle service. 4:30-7:30 pm. Holiday
Series. See Waste Land on the big screen in the museum’s
Inn, 476 Holiday Dr. (802) 773-2747.
theater, with high definition digital projection and Dolby™
info@rutlandvermont.com. www.rutlandvermont.com.
surround-sound. Open to the public and accessible to people
with disabilities. Tickets $11 for ages 16 and up, $6 for ages
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11
3-15. Saturdays at 3 pm. Billings Farm & Museum, Rt. 12 &
River Rd. To purchase tickets in advance call (802) 457-2355. MIDDLEBURY. Chili Festival. Chili contests, face
painting, beer tent, live music, street performers
info@billingsfarm.org. www.billingsfarm.org. On Selected
and more. Downtown 1-4 pm. (802) 377-3557.
Saturdays through April 4.
Rag Dolls 2 Love
Vermont Winter
Farmer’s Market
at the
Vermont Farmer’s
Food Center
A non-profit organization dedicated,
through volunteers, to making and distributing soft
cloth dolls to children affected by war,
natural disaster, or serious illness.
Elizabeth Winters, Director
(802) 394-2432 • www.ragdolls2love.org
P.O. Box 1, 1215 Rt. 153, W. Rupert, VT 05776
located at
251 West Street
Rutland, VT
Saturdays
10 am – 2 pm
For all those dedicated
to the preservation of
open-pollinated seeds.
For membership info visit
grassrootsseednetwork.org
Are you a local food
enthusiast but can’t
make Saturdays?
Join us Wednesdays
from 4 pm – 7 pm
vtfarmersmarket.org
Or contact: Ashley Firmin
249 Bailey Rd.
Industry, ME 04938
(207) 491-4259
grassrootsseednetwork
@gmail.com
“It’s worth making the trip to Northshire Bookstore.”
+ GIFTS + TOYS
BOOKS
Cards + Clothing + Bling + Events + Café
Open 10 am-7 pm Daily
Thu/Fri/Sat till 9 pm
800.437.3700
Page 16 Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015
INSPIRATION
for K I D S of A L L AGES
www.NORTHSHIRE .com
Rtes 7A & 11/30
Manchester
Center, VT
Vermont Country Calendar
RUTLAND. Winter Vermont Farmers’ Market. Local
produce, crafts, prepared foods. Live music. EBT and
debit cards. Saturdays 10 am – 2 pm and Wednesdays 4-7
pm. Vermont Farmers, Food Center at 251 West St. in
downtown Rutland. For info contact Doug Patac (802) 7537269, info@vtfarmersmarket.org www.vtfarmersmarket.org.
Wednesdays through April 29.
THURSDAY, MARCH 12
WOODSTOCK. Billings Farm & Museum & Cabot
Creamery Cooperative Co-sponsor the film: Farmland. An
intimate look at the lives of farmers and ranchers in their
‘20s, all of whom are now responsible for running their own
farming business. Panel discussion featuring local farmers
will follow the screening. Admission free; reservations
recommended. 7 pm. Billings Farm & Museum, Rt. 12 &
River Rd. (802) 457-2355. reservations@billingsfarm.org.
www.billingsfarm.org. www.cabotcheese.coop.
FRIDAY, MARCH 13
BELLOWS FALLS. Fiddle and Song Retreat. Workshops
on fiddling, singing, and song writing. Participate in
community outreach, perform in the annual St. Patrick’s
“Fiddle Frenzy” concert. Led by Lissa Schneckenburger and
Laura Cortese. For intermediate and advanced levels and
all ages. Fee: $90, fee for tuition and accomodations $125$225. Immanuel Episcopal Church, 20 Church St.
(802) 463-3100. www.immanuelretreat.org.
MANCHESTER CENTER. Sixth Annual Rock & Bowl.
Benefiting the Community Food Cupboard, this year’s
event includes bowl making and musical performances
by local favorites So Far and Alias Grace as well as Long
Trail School musicians. Rock and Bowl is a lead-up event
to Empty Bowls, which will be held Saturday, March 28
at LongTrail School. 7-9 pm. Spiral Press Café.
(802) 867-5717 ext. 141. www.northshire.com.
WELLS. Annual Teacup Auction. Sponsored by the Wells
Methodist Church Mission Events. Viewing and bidding
from 5:30 to 6:45 pm. Drawing from 6:45 on. Over 400
items by bid drawing 6:45-9 pm. Tickets 10 for $1.00.
Baked goods for sale. Houseplants. Skip supper and come
on down for a modest meal—hot dogs, chili dogs, donuts,
beverages, sundaes and more. Also a silent auction with
jams, maple syrup. Modern Woodmen of America Hall,
Rt. 30 south of town next to school. (802) 325-3203.
WILLISTON. Concert: Brick Church Music Series—
Heliand Consort. With Ben Kulp opening. Featured
visual artist: Dan Donnelly. $14/$12. 7 pm, doors
at 6 pm. Old Brick Church, 100 Library Ln.
(802) 764-1141. www.town.williston.vt.us.
Vermont
Maple
Cookbook
To order a copy of the
“Official Vermont Maple Cookbook,” Third Edition,
please send a check for $3, payable to
Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association, to:
Mary Croft, VMSMA Secretary/Treasurer
491 East Barnard Rd, South Royalton, VT 05068
Phone (802) 763-7435 • fax (802)763-7438
E-mail: mcmaple@wildblue.net
For two copies of the Cookbook, the Third Edition or
the Second Edition or one of each (the two editions have
different recipes) please send $5. To purchase larger
quantities of either cookbook, please contact Mary Croft.
SATURDAY, MARCH 14
ADAMANT. Winter Music Series Concert: Maple Jam.
Tickets: $10 in advance at the Adamant Co-op, $15 at
door, optional potluck. 5:30 pm, music 7 pm. Adamant
Community Club, 1161 Martin Rd.
BELLOWS FALLS. St. Patrick’s Fiddle Frenzy. Concert
with Lissa Schneckenburger, Laura Cortese, and Bethany
Waickman plus a multitude of fiddling friends! Tickets $20,
students/senior $15. 7:30 pm. Immanuel Episcopal Church,
20 Church St. (802) 463-3100. www.immanuelretreat.org.
www.stonechurcharts.org.
BRANDON. Creative Music & Live Looping Workshop
and Concert with Acoustic Double-Neck Guitarist Ian Ethan
Case. Workshop 11 am - 2 pm (fee $35) at Compass Music
and Arts Center, 333 Jones Dr. in Brandon. Concert at
Brandon Music at 7:30 pm (tickets $15). (802) 247-4295.
www.cmacvt.org.
BRATTLEBORO. Concert: Bill Charlap Trio. One of the
world’s premiere jazz pianists performing with bassist Peter
Washington and drummer Kenny Washington. $20-$40.
8 pm. Vermont Jazz Center, 72 Cotton Mill Hill.
(802) 254-9088 x 1. vtjazz.org.
CHESTER. Organic Beekeeping Workshop with Ross
Conrad. “Overwintering Bees and Spring Management”
and “Beeswax: Production, Collection, Processing, and
Uses”. Light morning refreshments will be served, featuring
special treats from Grafton Village Cheese! Bring a brown
bag lunch. Fee: $35. Sponsored by The Nature Museum of
Grafton. 9 am – 1 pm at the Newsbank, 352 Main St.
(802) 843-2111. Visit www.nature-museum.org.
COOKEVILLE. Corinth Coffeehouse. 7-8:30 pm, then
open mike from 8:30-10 pm. At the Corinth Town Hall, 1387
Cookeville Rd. For information call Dave Richard at
(802) 439-5980. darichard@tops-tele.com. Also April 11.
MANCHESTER CENTER. Off the Shelf with Erik Larson
presents Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania.
Admission: Ticket with book $33; two seats and one copy
of Dead Wake $40. 7 pm; doors open at 6 pm. Maple Street
School. (800) 437-3700. lbarnum@northshire.com.
www.northshire.com.
RUTLAND. Winter Vermont Farmers’ Market. Local
produce, crafts, prepared foods. Live music. EBT and debit
cards. Saturdays 10 am – 2 pm and Wednesdays 4-7 pm.
Vermont Farmers, Food Center at 251 West St. in downtown
Rutland. For info contact Doug Patac (802) 753-7269, info@
vtfarmersmarket.org. www.vtfarmersmarket.org. Saturdays
through May 2.
BIG EYES
BAKERY
ST. ALBANS. Northwestern Vermont Model Railroad
Association’s Vermont Rails Show. Multiple operating HO,
N, G, and O-scale layouts, in addition to over 100 tables
of exhibits and vendors of model railroading supplies and
railroad videos and books! Hands-on train activities for
children also. Food stand. Admission: $5 adults, $1 children
6-12, free under 6. 10 am - 4 pm at the Collins-Perley Sports
Complex. Ron Piro, (802) 878-1135, ronpiro@aol.com.
nwvrailroad.org.
WOODFORD. Hike in the Aiken Wilderness. From
the southern end of Woodford State Park, using map
and compass to snowshoe through the George D. Aiken
Wilderness. Visit beaver meadows, look for a variety
of tracks, lunch at one of the beaver ponds, reach the
snowmobile trail on the eastern edge of the Wilderness
and return to Rt. 9. Bring extra clothes, snacks and lunch,
fluids, snowshoes. Sponsored by the Green Mountain Club
Manchester Section. Meet at 8 am at Shaw’s in Manchester
Center, or at 9 am at the snowmobile parking lot. RSVP to
Dave Ratti at (802) 366-0698. dbrspruce@gmail.com.
SUNDAY, MARCH 15
BONDVILLE. 20th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade,
Fun floats and free green balloons for the kids. Main
Street, Rt. 30, 2-5 pm. Wear green and join us.
(802) 297-2488.
Current Road Conditions A Phone-Call Away
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Join us for the 49th
April 24–26
2015
Vermont
Maple Festival
Maple Exhibit Hall & Contests
Sugarhouse Tours • Pancake Breakfast
Carnival Rides • Antique Show • Sap Run
Craft & Specialty Foods Show • Parade
Fiddlers’ Variety Show • Youth Talent Show
Photo Contest • Maple Beverage Tasting
Sponsored in part by:
Mylan Technologies, Inc • TD Bank
Price Chopper • CDL USA
Hannaford Supermarkets • Peoples Trust Company
New England Federal Credit Union • Lapierre USA, Inc.
Leader Evaporator • Eagle Country 97.5
Georgia Mountain Maples
Hall Communications – WOKO, WKOL, WJOY
Peoples United Bank • Walmart • CCNNE
Family Farm Insurance • Butternut Mountain Farm
VMSMA – Northwestern Medical Center
Community National Bank • Yankee Farm Credit, ACA
Cooperative Insurance Companies • Maple Fields
GMTA • Homestead Senior Living • Hillside Plastics
www.vtmaplefestival.org
(802) 524-5800
Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015 Page 17
Vermont Country Calendar
MIDDLETOWN SPRINGS. 26th Annual Maple
Festival. Maple desserts, sugar on snow, maple cotton
candy. Bill Clark will be giving a talk on the evolution
of sugaring techniques. Fred Bradley will demonstrate
sugaring in a cast iron kettle over an open fire. Silent
auction of maple sap buckets decorated by local students.
Raffle. Acoustic music and kids’ activities. Food for sale,
activities free. Sponsored by the Middletown Springs
Historical Society. 1-4 pm. On the green. (802) 235-1811.
middletownspringshistoricalsociety.org.
RUTLAND. Vermont Symphony Orchestra Concert: Paris
in Spring. Tickets $9-$32. Paramount Theater, 30 Center St.
(802) 775-0903. paramountvt.org.
SO. BURLINGTON. Concert: Freedy Johnston. Tickets:
$15 day of show. 7:30 pm, doors open at 7 pm. Showcase
Lounge, 1214 Williston Rd. (877) 987-6487. info@
highergroundmusic.com. www.highergroundmusic.com
STOWE. Catamount Trail Classic Funraising Tour.
Backcountry cross-country ski from Bolton to Trapp Family
Lodge. 8 am, meet at Trapp Family Lodge for a bus to
Bolton. Registration deadline March 13. Call to register,
(802) 864-5794. www.catamounttrail.org.
WEST TOPSHAM. Maple Sunday Sugarhouse Breakfast
Buffet. All-you-can-eat buffet includes pancakes, waffles,
scrambled eggs, eggs fritatta, biscuits, toast, home fries,
maple French toast bake, sausage, bacon, ham, sausage
gravy, assorted fruits, donuts & beverages. Our own maple
syrup and maple cream. Cost: $13.99 (plus tax). Horse &
wagon rides. 8 am – 2 pm. Limlaw Family Maple Farm,
246 Rt. 25. (802) 439-6880. www.limlawmaplefarm.com.
Also March 22, 29.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18
MONTPELIER. Farmers Night 2015 Free Concert
Series: “Serenade to Spring”—Solaris Vocal Ensemble.
This northern Vermont-based chamber choir of mixed
voices, led by artistic director Dawn Willis, will perform
choral selections by Johannes Brahms, Fanny Mendelssohn
Hensel, Gustav Holst, and William Dawson, including
love songs, folk songs and spirituals. Free. 7:30 pm in the
House Chamber, Vermont State House. (802) 828-2291.
vermonthistory.org.
RUTLAND. Winter Vermont Farmers’ Market. Local
produce, crafts, prepared foods. Live music. EBT and
debit cards. 4-7 pm. Vermont Farmers, Food Center
at 251 West St. in downtown Rutland. For info
contact Doug Patac (802) 753-7269, info@
vtfarmersmarket.org www.vtfarmersmarket.
org. Wednesdays through April 29.
FRIDAY, MARCH 20
GRAFTON. Stargazing with Bob Dudley & SoVerA. Join
The Nature Museum at Grafton, the Southern Vermont
Astronomy Group, and Grafton Ponds for a stargazing
experience for adults and families! Bob Dudley of the
Southern Vermont Astronomy Group will lead an astronomy
program at Grafton Ponds. In case of cloudy weather, a rain
date will be March 21. Fee: $5, family maximum $20. In the
evening at Grafton Ponds, 783 Townshend Rd.
(802) 843-2111. www.nature-museum.org.
MONTPELIER. Green Mountain Film Festival. Downtown
Montpelier turns into a cinephile’s dream, bringing foreign
and independent films to Vermont. Special guests, discussions
and a 48-hour film slam. Admission. (802) 262-3423.
www.gmffestival.org.
Through March 29.
SATURDAY, MARCH 21
BENNINGTON. Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. 1-3 pm.
(802) 447-5758. www.betterbennington.com.
CABOT. Cabot Maple Fest. Pancake breakfast 9-11 am.
Silent auction 9 am – 2 pm. Lunch from 12-3 pm with Cabot
cheese sandwiches and homemade soup, sap dogs and maple
baked beans, real maple cotton candy, and sugar on snow.
Free admission and free parking. Cabot School, Main St.
(802) 563-3338. www.cabotvermont.org.
CAVENDISH. Sugar-on-Snow Supper. Menu, served buffet
style except for dessert: baked ham with raisin sauce, baked
beans sweetened with maple syrup, mashed potatoes, squash,
cole slaw, pickles, homemade white and brown breads,
homemade donuts, decaf coffee, tea, punch, and sugar-onsnow for dessert. Take-outs available. Tickets: adults $10,
children under 12 $5, under 6 are free. 5:30-7 pm. Cavendish
Baptist Church, 2258 Main St. (802) 226-7724.
CHESTER. LEGO Contest. Pre-K through Grade 8 and
families will display their original creations (no kits allowed).
Entry forms at www.chestertelegraph.org, www.ourchester.
org, and Special Events at www.stlukesepiscopalvt.org.
The $10 Early Bird pre-registration deadline is March 16.
Refreshments will be for sale. 9 am - 1 pm. NewsBank
Conference Center, 352 Main St. (802) 875-1340. lbwillisct@
comcast.net. www.stlukesepiscopalvt.org
DERBY. Wheeler Family Maple Museum Grand Opening.
Free Sugar-on-snow and wood-fired maple pizza. Bonfire 4
pm. Gift shop and maple creemees! 10 am to 8 pm. Steve &
Amy Wheeler, Wheeler Family Maple Museum, hosted by
Jed’s Maple Products, 259 Derby Pond Rd. (802) 766-2700.
Visit www.jedsmaple.com. Also March 22.
FERRISBURGH. Sugar-on-Snow Party. Pancake
breakfast with buttermilk pancakes, bacon, and sausage,
7:30-11:30 am, adults $7.95 (plus tax), kids $4.95 (plus tax).
Sausage hoagie cooked in sap or a bowl of our very own
maple chili for lunch. Taste free samples of maple syrup,
ham, bacon.Live music with Bob Degree and the Bluegrass
Storm, 12-4 pm. Observe boiling the traditional way. Dakin
Farm, Rt. 7. (800) 993-2546. www.dakinfarm.com. Also
March 22, 28 & 29.
GUILFORD. Annual Sugar-on-Snow Supper. Baked ham,
baked beans, deviled eggs, potato salad, coleslaw, freshly
baked rolls, sugar-on-snow, homemade donuts, pickles, and
coffee, tea or milk. A half gallon of maple syrup will be
raffled off during each seating. Seatings at 4:30, 5:45, and
7 pm. Adults $11, children 11 and under $5, preschoolers
$3. Guilford Community Church, 38 Church Dr. Directions:
take 1-91 to VT Exit 1 (Brattleboro), go south on US Rt. 5
just past Guilford Country Store, left on Bee Barn Rd., then
left again. (802) 254-9562. guilfordchurchsupper@gmail.
com. www.guilfordchurch.org.
HARTFORD. Sugar-on-Snow Supper. Menu: baked ham,
mashed potato, green beans, cole slaw, homemade rolls,
raised donuts, sugar-on-snow for dessert. Served family
style. Adults $10, children under 12 $4, pre-school free.
Reservations recommended. Handicapped accessible.
Servings at 5, 6 & 7 pm. Greater Hartford United Church of
Christ, Rt. 14. (802) 295-2510. Also March 28.
HARTLAND. Contra Dance. Carol Compton playing.
Sponsored by Hartland Community Arts. Admission. 7:30
pm. At Damon Hall, 3 Corners intersection, where Rt. 12
and Rt. 5 divide. For info contact Adam R. Boyce,
(802) 484-7719. adamrboyce@juno.com.
PLATTSBURGH, NY. 23rd Annual Champlain Valley RV
& Boat Show. Admission: Adults $5, Children under 16 free
with adult. Free parking. Saturday 9 am - 7 pm, Sunday, 9
am - 6 pm. Crete Memorial Civic Center. (877) 228-8240.
Also March 22.
RANDOLPH. Concert: Lavrova/Primakov Duo in a concert
for two pianos. Tickets: $32 advance, $35 Day of show;
Students $10. 7:30 pm. Chandler Music Hall, 71-73
Main St. (802) 864-5741. www.chandler-arts.org. www.
musicforyouth.net/vassily-primakovnatalia-lavrova.html.
RUTLAND. Winter Vermont Farmers’ Market. EBT and
debit cards. Saturdays 10 am – 2 pm and Wednesdays 4-7
pm. Vermont Farmers, Food Center at 251 West St. in
downtown Rutland. For info contact Doug Patac
(802) 753-7269, info@vtfarmersmarket.org.
vtfarmersmarket.org. Saturdays thru May 2.
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P.O. Box 197, N. Clarendon, VT 05759
Page 18 Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015
With all this winter’s snow and ice one senses a few more Fred and I to put lots of clams through an old-fashioned
unused or abandoned farm barns just won’t make it through meat grinder. This was before the days of blenders and food
processors.
to spring.
The barn was put to good use during World War II when
Barns that always add so much to the landscape remind
me of the one on our family homestead and its companion Fred and I went into the chicken business. We got Mother
carriage house with its original big solid doors—the kind to help build an elaborate brooding house with warming
you rarely see anymore. The barn and shed with their saltbox light bulb and flappy cloth sides for baby chicks. We would
type roofs were built sometime around 1800, the farmhouse get 100 white leghorn chicks at a time. Once the chicks got
in 1790.
bigger they started hopping out of the brooder and running
My father purchased the mini-farm in the 1920s as a home all over the barn, making a mess. It was then that Fred and
in the country for weekends and holidays. The barn was home I transferred them down to the carriage house. We later
for his horse for a number of years. The previous owners had sold the flock as pullet hens, keeping a dozen or so for our
kept a couple of cows there and (much for our later enjoy- own eggs. These lucky chickens had the run of the property
ment) had planted an apple orchard, cherry and pears trees, during the day and their own quarters in the carriage house
raspberry bushes, and even a quince tree.
at night. The carriage house had also been used as a kenAs young boys the barn benel when our parents raised
came a refuge for my brother
“…after my childhood home was sold, golden retrievers.
Fred and I. We set up a small
Not unexpectedly the
I drove by and was saddened to see the chicken
basketball court, ping pong
coup attracted rats
barn and carriage house gone.”
table and dart board. Hours
who would come to feed
of shooting baskets, often
after we shut the hens in
alone, paid off later as I was good enough to make the Jayvee for the night. We used to watch through an opening in the
ceiling upstairs—they appeared to live in harmony with the
basketball team in high school.
We and our friends would dare each other to jump from chickens, sharing food.
The barn wasn’t used again until years later when I was
the hay loft down onto the ground floor, maybe a 10-12 foot
jump. None of us ever got hurt, the most unpleasant part was back in the area working on a newspaper. I hosted a couple
breathing the cloud of dust from the cracks in the antique of parties there for members of the working press. Someone
brought a boom box for music; I provided beer and soda.
floor whenever we landed.
When we were teenagers our parents had part of the barn People brought potluck and there was quite a spread of Italfloor sanded down for a dance floor. We had a few parties ian, Chinese, Polish, Hungarian, and even Vietnamese dishes.
After Mother died at age 97 the property was sold and the
there which were successful back then even without alcohol.
Music was from a crank-it-up floor model phonograph that barn and carriage house were torn down and the remnants
removed except for a pile of posts and beams. Fortunately
played 78 rpm records. Remember them?
Not to be outdone by us kids, our parents also had barn the new owners saved the 1790 farmhouse for restoration as
parties there for their friends, usually after a Saturday football by now it did need repairs. Most of the surrounding farmland
game. The old wood stove from the farmhouse had been had been divided into two-acre plots where stately old homes
installed in one area of the barn to take the chill off and for were taken down and replaced with costly modern McManadult parties it served to warm a large pot of mulled wine. sions with 3-car attached garages.
Mother also served delicious home-made clam chowder.
A year or so after my childhood home was sold, I drove
‘Home-made’ really meant a long and tedious effort by by and was saddened to see the barn and carriage house
gone. Those buildings had served us well. The keepers now
are our memories.
1837 Greek Revival House for Sale—Danby, VT
Ten-room house, original features.
With post and beam antique
carriage house. Buildings need
restoration. Just under two acres,
beautiful views, close to Long
Trail. Asking $95,000. Call for
details: (802) 772-7463.
Vermont Antiquarian
Booksellers Association
~ More than 70 Dealers ~
vermontisbookcountry.com
Vermont Country
Calendar
SUNDAY, MARCH 22
DERBY. Wheeler Family Maple Museum Grand Opening.
Free Sugar-on-snow and wood-fired maple pizza. Bonfire
4 pm. Gift shop and maple creemees! 10 am to 8 pm. Steve
& Amy Wheeler, Wheeler Family Maple Museum, hosted
by Jed’s Maple Products, 259 Derby Pond Rd.
(802) 766-2700. Visit www.jedsmaple.com.
It takes forty gallons
of sap, bolied down
in the “evaporator” to
concentrate the sweet
sap-water into one gallon of maple syrup.
WEST TOPSHAM. Maple Sunday Sugarhouse Breakfast
Buffet. All-you-can-eat buffet. Cost: $13.99 (plus tax).
Horse & wagon rides. 8 am – 2 pm. Limlaw Family Maple
Farm, 246 Rt. 25. (802) 439-6880. limlawmaplefarm.com.
Also March 29.
It takes a four-foot log, burned in the raging fire in the “arch” dunder the
evaporator for each gallon of
syrup produced, and the
whole sugarmaker’s family to
continually fire the arch, operate
the evaporator and sterilize, filter,
grade, and pack each gallon of
maple syrup.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25
MONTPELIER. Farmers Night 2015 Free Concert
Series: “Blow, Blow Thou Winter Wind.” Vermont
Symphonic Winds performs a concert for winds and
voices to send winter on its way. Free. 7:30 pm in the
House Chamber, Vermont State House. (802) 828-2291.
vermonthistory.org.
FRIDAY, MARCH 27
MONTPELIER. Maple Open House Weekend. Sugar-onSnow Saturday & Sunday, 12–4 pm; Pancake Breakfast
Saturday, 8:30–11:00 am; hot dogs boiled in sap Saturday
& Sunday, 12–3 pm. Morse Farm Sugar Works, 1168
County Rd. (800) 242-2740. www.morsefarm.com. Also
March 29.
ARLINGTON. Community Dinner. Free. Includes
entree, salad, breads, dessert, coffee and tea. Children are
welcome. Handicap accessible, plenty of parking. 5:30-7
pm. St. James Episcopal Church, Rt. 7A. (802) 375-9952.
stjamesarlingtonvt.org. Also April 24.
POULTNEY. Maple Fest Celebration. Local sugar makers
open their operations up for tours. Horse drawn wagon
rides, a basket raffle and many more events during the
day. Sugar houses will also be open for tours on Sunday.
(802) 287-2010. www.poultneyvt.com.
MONTPELIER. Maple Open House Weekend. Sugaron-Snow Fri, Sat & Sun, 12–4 pm; pancake breakfast
Saturday, 8:30–11:00 am; hot dogs boiled in sap Saturday
& Sunday, 12–3 pm. Morse Farm Sugar Works, 1168
County Rd. (800) 242-2740. www.morsefarm.com. Also
March 28 & 29.
RANDOLPH CENTER. Silloway Maple Open House.
Tours of the solar-powered sugarhouse, with traditionally
wood-fired arch. Sugar-on-snow, old-fashioned raised
doughnuts with hot maple syrup, and new maple syrup and
maple cream for sale. From 10 am on. Silloway Maple,
1303 Boudro Rd. (802) 272-6249. www.sillowaymaple.
com. Also March 29.
NO. CLARENDON. Grocery Bingo. To benefit the
Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary.
Refreshments available. 6 pm. Clarendon Elementary
School, 84 N. Grange Hall Rd. (802) 773-1791.
SATURDAY, MARCH 28
EAST MONTPELIER. Maple Open House Weekend at
Bragg Farm. Sugar-on-snow and fiddle music by David
Carpenter and Friends from 12-5 pm. Come watch us boil!
Gift shop and lots of maple. Free admission. Bragg Farm,
1005 VT Rt. 14 North. (802) 223-5757. braggfarm.com.
Also March 29.
EAST CHARLESTON. Sky Blue Boys Perform at the
Kingdom Coffeehouse. 7 pm. Northwoods Stewardship
Center, 154 Leadership Dr. (802) 723-4705.
www.northwoodscenter.org.
FERRISBURGH. Sugar-on-Snow Party. Pancake
breakfast with buttermilk pancakes, bacon, and sausage,
7:30-11:30 am, adults $7.95 (plus tax), kids $4.95 (plus
tax). Sausage hoagie cooked in sap or a bowl of our very
own maple chili for lunch. Taste free samples of maple
syrup, ham, bacon.Live music with Bob Degree and the
Bluegrass Storm, 12-4 pm. Observe boiling the traditional
way. Dakin Farm, Rt. 7. (800) 993-2546. www.dakinfarm.
com. Also March 29.
HARTFORD. Sugar-on-Snow Supper. Menu: baked ham,
mashed potato, green beans, cole slaw, homemade rolls,
raised donuts, sugar-on-snow for dessert. Served family
style. Adults $10, children under 12 $4, pre-school free.
Reservations recommended. Handicapped accessible.
Servings at 5, 6 & 7 pm. Greater Hartford United Church
of Christ, Rt. 14. (802) 295-2510.
HUNTINGTON. Sugar-on-Snow Party. Sugar-on-snow,
sugaring demonstrations, and a delicious taste of each
grade of maple syrup! Food and syrup for sale. Free
admission. 11 am – 4 pm. Green Mountain Audubon Club,
255 Sherman Hollow Rd. (802) 434-3068. vt.audubon.org.
Also March 29.
LUNENBURG. 10th Annual Maple Festival. Celebrate
our maple sugaring heritage! Displays, tree tapping demos,
contests, sugarhouses tour, pancake breakfast, soup &
bread lunch, antique sugaring equipment, sugar-on-snow
& maple cotton candy. 8 am – 7 pm. Lunenburg Primary
School. For contest rules and information please call Chris
at (802) 892-6654. www.topofthecommon.org.
MANCHESTER. Dutton’s Maple Open House.
Live fiddle music from 12–2 pm. Specialty foods,
vendors, maple creemies and fudge. Sugar house
tours. At Dutton’s Farm Stand, Rt. 11/30.
(802) 362-3083. duttonberryfarm.com and
on facebook—Dutton Berry Farm.
It takes four
maple trees,
at least forty
years old, growing in the mountain “sugarbush” to
yield enough sap in six
weeks to produce one
gallon of maple syrup.
It takes a “gathering
crew” to climb the
mountains daily during March and April to
collect the dripping sap
and haul it down to the
“sugarhouse.”
FERRISBURGH. Sugar-on-Snow Party. Pancake
breakfast with buttermilk pancakes, bacon, and sausage,
7:30-11:30 am, adults $7.95 (plus tax), kids $4.95 (plus
tax). Sausage hoagie cooked in sap or a bowl of our very
own maple chili for lunch. Taste free samples of maple
syrup, ham, bacon.Live music with Bob Degree and the
Bluegrass Storm, 12-4 pm. Observe boiling the traditional
way. Dakin Farm, Rt. 7. (800) 993-2546. dakinfarm.com.
Also March 28 & 29.
RUTLAND. Winter Vermont Farmers’ Market. Local
produce, crafts, prepared foods. Live music. EBT and
debit cards. Saturdays 10 am – 2 pm and Wednesdays
4-7 pm. Vermont Farmers, Food Center at 251 West
St. in downtown Rutland. For info contact Doug Patac
(802) 753-7269, info@vtfarmersmarket.org www.
vtfarmersmarket.org. Wednesdays through April 29.
THIS IS WHAT IT
TAKES TO MAKE
ONE GALLON OF
PURE VERMONT
MAPLE SYRUP
RANDOLPH. Eighth Annual Mini Mud. Celebrate young
talent from across the region. Tickets: $17, students $8.
7:30 pm. Chandler Music Hall, 71-73 Main St.
(802) 864-5741. www.chandler-arts.org.
RUPERT. Annual Maple Celebration and Pancake
Breakfast. Take a wagon ride up to the Frank Hatch Sap
House for Merck Forest & Farmland-raised pork breakfast
sausages, locally-grown eggs, pancakes drizzled with
Merck’s Vermont-certified organic maple syrup, and coffee
and juice. Adults $10, children 4-12 $5, and under 4 free.
Tree-tapping demonstrations, sugaring, kids’ activities, and
maybe newborn lambs. 30 miles of trails to explore. 10 am
– 2 pm. Merck Forest and Farmland Center, 3270 Rt. 315.
(802) 394-7836. www.merckforest.org. Also March 29.
RUTLAND. Winter Vermont Farmers’ Market. Local
produce, crafts, prepared foods. Live music. EBT and
debit cards. Saturdays 10 am – 2 pm and Wednesdays 4-7
pm. Vermont Farmers, Food Center at 251 West St. in
downtown Rutland. For info contact Doug Patac
(802) 753-7269, info@vtfarmersmarket.org.
www.vtfarmersmarket.org. Saturdays through May 2.
SHELBURNE. Maple Open House at Shelburne Farms.
4-H breakfast, $8/adult, $4/child, 9 am – 12 pm. Exploring
the sugarbush is free. 9 am – 2 pm. 1611 Harbor Rd.
(802) 985-8686. www.shelburnefarms.org.
STATEWIDE. Maple Open House Weekend. Vermont’s
sugar houses open their doors to visitors. Many have
special events, music, tours of the sugarbush, and free
samples. Some have pancake breakfasts. The Vermont
Maple Sugar Maker’s Association provides a list of
sugarhouses open to the public. For a copy to plan your
day and for sugarhouse events, go to www.vermontmaple.
org. Also March 29.
WELLS. Annual Old Tyme Maple Sugarhouse Dinner.
Presented by the Wells United Methodist Church. Menu:
maple glazed ham with maple pineapple sauce and mashed
potatoes, 25-item salad bar with five maple dressings,
maple baked beans, maple brown bread, hard boiled eggs
cooked in maple sap. Large crock of dill pickles to help
yourself from. Plenty of maple condiments. Beverages
include maple coffee, maple tea, lemonade and water. For
dessert, a choice of maple sundaes and maple cookies.
Adults are $12 each, youth 10 and under $6, age 4 and
under free. Take-outs are available. 4:30-7 pm. Modern
Woodmen of America Hall, West Main St., Rt. 30, (21
miles northwest of Manchester and 15 miles south of
Castleton). (802) 325-3203.
WEST TOPSHAM. Maple Open House Weekend.
Special treats and sugarhouse tours. Limlaw Family
Maple Farm, 246 Rt. 25. (802) 439-6880.
www.limlawmaplefarm.com. Also March 29.
So, if you had to climb the mountain, tap the trees, haul the sap,
cut the wood, stoke the fires, and pack
the syrup to the nations only strictly
enforced maple law, what would you
charge for a gallon of Maple Syrup?
COUNTRY STOVES
43A Woodstock Ave, Rutland, VT • (802) 775-6289
Complete Majestic—Vermont Castings Product Line
Pellet Stoves
Pacific Energy Products
Fireplace & Stove Furnishings
Metal Chimney Systems
Open Fri & Sat, 10 am – 3 pm
Service calls made on days the store is closed. Alan Currier, Owner.
Maple Equipment
And Maple Syrup
802.483.6710
Mon–Fri 8–5, Sat 8–3 • www.vermontlonghill.com
1876 US Route 7, Pittsford, VT 05763
In Business Since 1996
Gymnastics, Tumbling
Cheerleading, Fitness
Open Gyms, Camps
Birthday Parties
Open Mon-Fri 9-9, Sat 9-1
Sat & Sun Open for Birthdays
152 N. Main St., Rutland, VT
www.headoverheelsvt.com
(802) 773-1404
Ages
2–18
Voted “Best of the Best” for 2013 & 2014
Mendon Mou ntain
ORCHARDS
Homemade Pies $14
Apple Turnovers
Fresh Apple Cider
Apples • Maple Syrup
Open 7 Days • Rt. 4, Mendon • (802) 775-5477
3 miles east of Rutland
Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015 Page 19
Vermont Country Calendar
WHITINGHAM. 17th Annual Whitingham Maple
Festival. Pancake Breakfast from 7-10 am by Lions Club
at the Jacksonville Municipal Center. $8 adults, $6 for 65+
years and children 5-12, children under five free. Sugar
House Tours from 8 am – 5 pm, Artisans Tours, Craft Fair at
Twin Valley High School. Lunch 11:30 am – 1:30 pm at the
Twin Valley High School. Horse-drawn sleigh rides from 10
am – 2 pm, by donation, on Rt. 100 across from Twin Valley
Middle School. Sugar-on-Snow Baked Ham Dinner from
5-7 pm at the Municipal Center in Jacksonville, $12 adults,
$6 children 5-12, children under five free. Maps available
at info booth at the Whitingham Municipal Center, Rt. 100.
(802) 368-2658. info@whitinghammaplefest.com.
www.whitingham-maplefest.us. Also March 29.
SUNDAY, MARCH 29
FERRISBURGH. Sugar-on-Snow Party. Pancake breakfast
with buttermilk pancakes, bacon, and sausage, 7:30-11:30
am, adults $7.95 (plus tax), kids $4.95 (plus tax). Sausage
hoagie cooked in sap or a bowl of maple chili for lunch.
Free samples of maple syrup, ham, bacon. Live music with
the Sky Blue Boys, 12-4 pm. Observe boiling the traditional
way. Dakin Farm, Rt. 7. (800) 993-2546. dakinfarm.com.
HUNTINGTON. Sugar-on-Snow Party. Sugar-on-snow,
sugaring demonstrations, and a taste of each grade of maple
syrup! Food and syrup for sale. Free admission. 11 am – 4
pm. At the Sugarhouse, Green Mountain Audubon Club,
255 Sherman Hollow Rd. (802) 434-3068. vt.audubon.org.
MONTPELIER. Maple Open House Weekend. Sugaron-Snow 12–4 pm, hot dogs boiled in sap 12–3 pm. Morse
Farm Sugar Works, 1168 County Rd. (800) 242-2740. www.
morsefarm.com.
NORWICH. English Country Dance. Music by Trip to
Norwich: Carol Compton on keyboard, accordion, and
recorders; Thal Aylward on violin and viola. Calling by
Chris Levey. Refreshments provided. Admission: $8 adults,
$4 ages 25 and under. 3-6 pm. Tracy Hall, 300 Main St.
(802) 785-4121. engineering.dartmouth.edu/~d26745m/
localECD. Also April 19.
POULTNEY. Maple Fest Celebration. Local sugar houses
will be open for tours. (802) 287-2010. poultneyvt.com.
RANDOLPH CENTER. Silloway Maple Open
House. Tours of the solar-powered sugarhouse, with
traditionally wood-fired arch. Sugar-on-snow, oldfashioned raised doughnuts with hot maple syrup,
and new maple syrup and maple cream for sale.
From 1 pm on. Silloway Maple, 1303 Boudro
Rd. (802) 272-6249. sillowaymaple.com.
RUPERT. Annual Maple Celebration and Pancake Breakfast.
Take a wagon ride up to the Frank Hatch Sap House for
Merck Forest & Farmland-raised pork breakfast sausages,
locally-grown eggs, pancakes drizzled with Merck’s
Vermont-certified organic maple syrup, and coffee and
juice. Adults $10, children 4-12 $5, and under 4 free. Treetapping demonstrations, sugaring, kids’ activities, and maybe
newborn lambs. 30 miles of trails to explore. 10 am – 2 pm.
Merck Forest and Farmland Center, 3270 Rt. 315. (802) 3947836. www.merckforest.org.
WEST RUTLAND. Vermont Herbal General Store.
Owned and operated by a registered pharmacist. Tai’ Chi
Gung classes, Tuesdays at 5 pm at the store and Saturdays
at 8 am at Best Western, Rt. 4, Rutland. Free intro classes.
Usul & Karuna Reiki Healings & Classes. Handmade
Herbal Medicines, Oils, Essences, Crystals, Gemstones
& Books. Teas, Lotions, and Capsules. All are welcome.
Open Tuesday & Wednesday 1-6, Thursday-Saturday 12-6,
Sunday 1-4, closed Friday. Vermont Herbal General Store,
578 Main St. (802) 438-2766. info@vermontherbal.com.
On Facebook and Twitter. www.vermontherbal.com.
STATEWIDE. Maple Open House Weekend. Vermont’s
sugar houses open their doors to visitors. Many have special
events, music, tours of the sugarbush, and free samples. Some
have pancake breakfasts. The Vermont Maple Sugar Maker’s
Association provides a list of sugarhouses open to the public.
For a copy go to vermontmaple.org.
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION. Upper Valley Seed Savers
meet on the second Thursday of the month at 5 pm at
Upper Valley Food Coop, through the winter. Our mission
is to further knowledge about seed saving and to work on
projects that will help develop a body of locally-adapted
open-pollinated vegetable seeds. For information, or if you
can’t come to meetings but would like to receive a monthly
WEST TOPSHAM. Maple Sunday Sugarhouse Breakfast
email with our minutes which contain information on our
Buffet. All-you-can-eat buffet includes pancakes, waffles,
projects, please contact Sylvia Davatz at sdav@valley.net or
scrambled eggs, eggs fritatta, biscuits, toast, home fries,
maple French toast bake, sausage, bacon, ham, sausage gravy, call (802) 436-3262.
assorted fruits, donuts & beverages. Our own maple syrup
WINDSOR. Stuffed Animal Repair. Sue Spear, stuffed
and maple cream. Cost: $13.99 (plus tax). Horse & wagon
animal repair specialist, will fix up stuffed friends. Free. 6-8
rides. Special treats for Maple Open House Weekend. 8 am
pm. Windsor Public Library, 43 State St. (802) 674-2556.
– 2 pm. Limlaw Family Maple Farm, 246 Rt. 25. (802) 439Each Wednesday.
6880. www.limlawmaplefarm.com.
WHITINGHAM. 17th Annual Whitingham Maple
Festival. Pancake Breakfast from 7-10 am by Lions Club
at the Jacksonville Municipal Center, $8 adults, $6 for 65+
years, children under five free. Self-guided artisans tours
all day. Sugar House Tours from 8 am – 5 pm, Craft Fair
at Twin Valley High School. Lunch 11:30 am – 1:30 pm at
Twin Valley High School. Horse-drawn sleigh rides from
10 am – 2 pm, by donation, on Rt. 100 across from Twin
Valley Middle School. Maps available at info booth at
Twin Valley High School, Rt. 100. (802) 368-2658. info@
whitinghammaplefest.com. whitingham-maplefest.us.
COMMUNITY MEALS
ARLINGTON. Free Community Dinner. plenty of parking.
5:30-7 pm. St. James Episcopal Church, Rt. 7A. (802) 3759952. stjamesarlingtonvt.org. March 27 and April 24.
ONGOING ACTIVITIES
CHESTER. Monthly Public Astronomy Meetings for the
Southern Vermont Astronomy Group. Second Tuesday of
the month at 7 pm—free to the public at Whiting Library.
Southern Vermont Astronomy Group, PO Box 424, Chester,
VT 05143. www.sovera.org.
GRANITEVILLE. Rock of Ages Visitors Center. Visit
our new website and online store offering handcrafted stone
products, cheese trays, clocks, lazy Susans, wine chillers and
jewelry. Order custom granite house plates, desk plates. Rock
of Ages Visitor’s Center, 558 Graniteville Rd. (802) 4763119. rockofages.com. rockofagesgiftshop.com.
Vermont Trout Unlimited Hosts Fly Fishing Summer Camp for Teens
Poulin Grain Dealer
Maple
aple Leaf
eaf
Farm
arm & Gar
arden
Supply,
upply, Inc.
nc.
Rt. 100A, Bridgewater Corners, VT
Roof Racks, Snow Scoops, Rock Salt
Dog & Cat Food • Bird Seed, Feeders & Houses
2015 Maple Syrup • Fresh Eggs
Mon–Fri 8:30-4:30, Sat 8:30-12, closed Sun
(802) 672-6223 • Bruce & Alice Paglia
Vermont Trout Unlimited
announces their “Fly Fishing
Camp for Vermont Teens,”
ages 13 to 16.
Teens interested in learning the art of fly-fishing or
improving their basic skill
level alongside some of Vermont’s most accomplished
fly anglers, are invited to
apply.
The 2015 camp is scheduled for Sunday June 21st
through Thursday June 25th
at Quimby Country Lodge
& Cottages, in Averill, VT.
Vermont Fish & Wildlife
Commissioner Louis Porter
supports Trout Unlimited’s
educational efforts. “Trout
Unlimited’s Fly Fishing
Camp for Teens is an incredible program dedicated
to educating our next generation of fly fishermen and
women to help ensure that
our precious cold water fisheries here in Vermont will be
taken care of well into the
future,” said Porter.
Participants in the fiveday/four-night comprehensive program will learn and
practice casting, basic fly
tying, knot craft, insect identification and imitation (entomology), fish identification
and behavior (ichthyology)
safe wading techniques, angling ethics and coldwater
conservation. Campers will
hone their skills on local
lakes, ponds and streams,
including the Connecticut
River.
Quimby Country, (www.
quimbycountry.com) is Vermont’s oldest sporting lodge
and has been in continuous
operation since 1894. Located in Vermont’s Northeast
Kingdom just south of the
Canadian border on Forest Lake and Great Averill
Pond, Quimby’s is only a
15-minute drive from the
Connecticut River.
Prospective campers are
encouraged to apply no later
than April 15, 2014 to secure
a spot for this year’s program. The cost for the 5-day
camp is $450. Scholarships
may be available.
Trout Unlimited is a nonprofit organization that has
dedicated over 50 years to
the conservation, protection
and restoration of North
America’s cold-water fisheries and watersheds.
For information about the
Trout Unlimited Fly Fishing
Camp, an application form
and videos, go to www.ver
monttroutcamp.com. Contact
Kurt Budliger, camp director,
at (802) 223-4022 or ver
monttroutcamp@gmail.com.
...upcoming
BURLINGTON
Billings Farm & Museum
Gateway to Vermont’s Rural Heritage
March 14, 8:00 pm
Flynn Center
Burlington
May 2, 8:00 pm
Flynn Center
Burlington
JAIME LAREDO, Music Director
March 15, 3:00 pm
Paramount Theatre
Rutland
In Concert
March 16, 7:00 pm
Latchis Theater
Brattleboro
Join us for our annual music, picnics and fireworks
July 1 - July 12
in beautiful venues
throuhout the state
Page 20 Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015
Baby Animal Day
Saturday, April 4, 2015
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Calves, Lambs,
Chicks, and
Ducklings
Children’s Craft &
Heirloom Seed Activities
Farm Life Exhibits
Horse-Drawn
Wagon Rides
Route 12N• Woodstock, VT
802-457-2355 • www.billingsfarm.org
ermo
Vermont Country
Calendar
CHESTER. Monthly Community All-you-can-eat Buffet
Breakfast. $7 donation at the door. 8-10 am. Gassetts
Grange, junction of Rt. 10 & 103N. (802) 875-2637.
Monthly on first Saturdays.
BRADFORD. Farmers Market. Second and fourth
Saturdays, 10 am – 2 pm. Grace United Methodist Church.
Iris Johnson, (802) 222-4495. hellobradfordfarmers@gmail.
com. facebook.com/bradfordfarmersmarket. Through April.
CRAFTSBURY COMMON. Free Community Dinner.
6 pm. United Church of Craftsbury, 7 Church Lane.
(802) 586-8028. Continues on third Wednesdays.
BRATTLEBORO. Winter Farmers’ Market. Saturdays,
10 am – 2 pm. At the River Garden, 153 Main St. For
info call Sherry Maher, (802) 869-2141. farmersmarket@
postoilsolutions.org. www.postoilsolutions.org. Through
March.
FAIR HAVEN. Breakfast Buffet. $7 adult, $3.50 children.
8-11 am. Sponsored by the American Legion Post #49,
72 S. Main St. (802) 265-7983. Continues monthly second
Sundays.
MONTPELIER. Bethany Bowl. A community meal that
is free to all. 11:30 am – 1 pm. At the Fellowship Hall,
Bethany Church, 115 Main St. (802) 223-2424.
www.bethanychurchvt.org. UCCBethany@comcast.net.
Every Tuesday.
NEWPORT. Souper Lunch. Free. All are welcome. Noon
at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 44 2nd St.
(802) 334-7365. www.stmarksnewport.org. Last Tuesday
of each month.
POULTNEY. The Slate Valley Community Monthly
Breakfast. 8-10 am at the Poultney United Methodist
Church on Main St. Adults $1 and children under 14 free.
Handicapped accessible. (802) 287-9087. Last Saturdays
of the month.
RUTLAND. Free Lunch. Free soup, sandwiches and
beverage. Donations accepted including help. 11 am – 1
pm. Turning Point Center of Rutland, 141 State St. (802)
773-6010. www.rutlandturningpoint.org. Every Friday.
SO. HERO. Free Community Supper. The food is
delicious and prepared by wonderful volunteer cooks.
5:30-7 pm. Congregational Church of South Hero, UCC,
24 South St. (802) 372-4962. Second Fridays.
SO. ROYALTON. Community Supper. Free and open to
all. Handicap accessible. 6 pm. United Church of South
Royalton, 67 S. Windsor St. For info call Raelene Lemery
at (802) 763-7690. ucsr@myfairpoint.net. Every Friday.
TUNBRIDGE. Monthly Breakfast & Bake Sale. Hosted
by the Tunbridge Recreation Committee and the Tunbridge
Central School 8th Grade Class. 8 am – 12 noon.
Tunbridge Town Hall, Rt. 110. www.tunbridgevt.com.
Second Sunday of each month.
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION. Listen Hearty ThreeCourse Community Dinner. Free. Doors open at 4 pm.
Dinner at 5 pm. Listen Community Dinner Hall, River
Point Plaza, 42 Maple St. (603) 448-4553.
listencommunityservices.org. Monday through Friday.
WINDSOR. Community Meal. Bring a friend for a meal
sponsored by Windsor churches and community groups.
Free. 5-6 pm. American Legion Hall on Court St.
(802) 674-2157. Each Wednesday.
WINDSOR. All-You-Can-Eat Brunch Buffet. Adults
$7.50, 8 and under $3. 11 am to 1 pm. St. Paul’s Episcopal
Church, 27 State St. (802) 674-6461. First Sundays.
WOODSTOCK. Hand-in-Hand Community Meal. All are
welcome. Free, donations accepted. 5-7 pm in the Social
Hall of the North Universalist Chapel Society, 7 Church St.
(802) 457-2557. Every Thursday.
WINTER FARMERS MARKETS
BENNINGTON. Walloomsac Winter Farmers Markets.
First and third Saturdays, 10 am – 1 pm. at First Baptist
Church, 601 Main St. info@walloomsac.org. On
Facebook. Through April.
BURLINGTON. Winter Farmers’ Market at Memorial
Auditorium, corner of Main St. and S. Union. 10 am – 2
pm every other Saturday, January 31 through April. Chris
Wagner, (802) 310-5172. info@burlingtonfarmersmarket.
org. burlingtonfarmersmarket.org. March 14, 28; April 11.
DORSET. Dorset Winter Farmers’ Market. Sundays
from 10 am – 2 pm at J.K. Adams Kitchen Store and
Factory on Rt. 30. Carol Adinolfi. marketmanager@
dorsetfarmersmarket.com. www.dorsetfarmersmarket.com.
Sundays through May 5.
GROTON. Groton Growers’ Winter Farmers Market.
Every third Saturday, 10 am – 1 pm at Groton Community
Building Gym. Mary Berlejung and Sandi Adams. (802)
584-3595 or (802) 633-3031. grotongrowers@gmail.com.
www.grotongrowers.org. Third Saturdays through May.
MIDDLEBURY. Winter Farmer’s Market. 9:30 am – 1
pm at Mary Hogan Elementary School, 201 Mary Hogan
Dr. Jeremy Gildrien & Sharon Kerwin, (802) 989-7223.
middleburyfarmersmarket.org. Saturdays March 7 through
April 25.
MONTPELIER. Montpelier Capital City Winter Farmers’
Market. 10 am – 2 pm. March 7 at Montpelier City Hall;
March 21 and April 11 & 25 at Montpelier H.S. Carolyn
Grodinsky, (802) 223-2958. montpelierfarmersmarket.com.
NORTHFIELD. Winter Farmers’ Market. 11 am – 2 pm
at Norwich University’s Plumley Armory. Crystal Peterson.
(802) 485-5563. northfieldfarmersmarketvt@gmail.com.
northfieldfarmersmarketvt.com. March 1, and April 4.
NORWICH. Norwich Farmers’ Winter Market. Saturdays
10 am – 1 pm. February 14 & 28; March 14 & 28; April
11 & 25. At Tracy Hall, 300 Main St. Steve Hoffman,
(802) 384-7447. manager@norwichfarmersmarket.org.
norwichfarmersmarket.org. Through April 25.
RUTLAND. Winter Vermont Farmers’ Market. Local
produce, crafts, prepared foods. Live music. EBT and debit
cards. Every aturday 10 am – 2 pm and every Wednesdays
4-7 pm. Vermont Farmers, Food Center at 251 West St. in
downtown Rutland. For info contact Doug Patac (802) 7537269, info@vtfarmersmarket.org www.vtfarmersmarket.
org. Through May 2.
ST. JOHNSBURY. Caledonia Winter Farmers Market.
First and third Saturdays, through April 18, 10 am – 1
pm. At St. Johnsbury Welcome Center, Railroad St.
Elizabeth Everts, (802) 592-3088. sites.google.com/site/
caledoniafarmersmarket. Through April 18.
Lambs at rest in the Activity Barn at Billings Farm.
Billings Farm Baby Animal
Day on Saturday, April 4th
Billings Farm & Museum
in Woodstock, VT will feature Annual Baby Animal
Day on Saturday, April 4th,
from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. This is
the day before Easter Sunday
and is a perfect activity for
families with young children and visiting relatives.
Celebrate Easter and Spring
with a visit to Billings Farm!
The event will feature family-centered programs with
the farm’s new calves, lambs,
chicks, and ducklings. There
will be horse-drawn wagon
rides around the farm fields,
visits to the heirloom garden
and children’s springtime
craft activities.
Get up close with the
farm’s baby animals and
learn about their care and
diet. Crafts for the kids include pom-pom chicks and
lamb handprints.
Start planning your garden
as you learn about heirloom
seeds and select a few varieties of seeds from the Bill-
ings Farm garden to plant at
home.
Admission includes all
programs plus the working
dairy farm and horse-drawn
wagon rides.
The Billings Farm & Museum is a charitable nonprofit institution. Since opening to the public in 1983, the
Farm & Museum has served
as a gateway to Vermont’s
rural heritage.
Billings Farm & Museum
is open daily, May 1 through
October 31, 10 a.m. to 5
p.m., weekends Nov. – Feb.,
and Christmas & Presidents’
weeks, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission: adults $14; 62
& over $13; children 5-15
$8; 3-4 $4; 2 & under free.
Billings Farm & Museum
is located one-half mile north
of the Woodstock village
green on Vermont Rt. 12.
For information call (802)
457-2355 or visit www.bill
ingsfarm.org.
Judith Irven Landscape & Garden Designer
Helping people create beautiful gardens
Writings: www.northcountryreflections.com
Designs: www.outdoorspacesvermont.com
Talks: www.judithirventalks.com
WINDSOR. The Windsor Farmers Market. First and third
Sundays. 11:30 am to 2:30 pm. At the Windsor Welcome
Center, 3 Railroad Ave. windsor.vt.farmers.market@gmail.
com. Through May.
MUSEUMS, EXHIBITS & GALLERIES
BARRE. Studio Place Arts. Exhibits, classes, workshops,
and artists’ studios. Free. Tues, Wed & Fri 10 am - 5 pm,
Thurs 11 am - 7 pm, Sat 9 am - 5 pm. 201 N. Main St. (802)
479-7069. info@studioplacearts.com. studioplacearts.com.
BARRE. Vermont History Center and Leahy Library.
Adults: $5; families: $12; students, children, seniors: $3;
members and children under 6: free. Monday through
Friday, 9 am – 4 pm. Vermont Historical Society, 60
Washington St. (802) 479-8500. vermonthistory.org.
BELMONT. Stephanie Stouffer Studio and Gallery Gift
Shop. Hooked pillows and rugs, tapestries, holiday cards,
and stoneware. Free admission. Call for appointment.
Stephanie Stouffer Studio and Gallery Gift Shop, 250
Maple Hill Rd. (802) 259-2686. stouffer@vermontel.net.
www.stephaniestouffer.com.
“Reflections
Of the Season”
Mixed media works by
late artist Harlow Lent
On exhibit at Café 232 through the winter
232 Main Street, South Strafford, VT
802-765-9232 • www.cafe232.com
Wed thru Fri 6-2, Sat 7-2, Sun 8-1, closed Mon
BENNINGTON. Bennington Center for the Arts.
Permanent collections, theater productions, workshops.
Admission: adults $9, seniors & students $8, families
$20, under 12 are free. Open Wed-Mon, 10 am – 5 pm.
Bennington Center for the Arts, 44 Gypsy Lane. (802) 4427158. jana@thebennington.org. thebennington.org.
BENNINGTON. Bennington Museum. Admission
$10, children under 18 free. Free admission to the Gift
Shop. Open 10 am - 5 pm every day except Wednesdays.
Bennington Museum, 75 Main St. (802) 447-1571. www.
benningtonmuseum.org.
BRANDON. Compass Music and Arts Center. Arts
businesses and studios, classes & workshops, exhibits,
concerts, and community events. Winter Art Mart through
March 29. A gift shop features art and music related books,
collectibles, and the music of the classical recording
company, Divine Art Records. Onsite café. 10 am – 5 pm
Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday through
March. Compass Music and Arts Center, 333 Jones
Drive, Park Village, 1.5 miles north of downtown.
(802) 247-4295. www.cmacvt.org.
English Country Dance
Music by Trip to Norwich
Carol Compton and Thal Aylward
Chris Levey, caller
All dances taught, no partner necessary, all are welcome!
Bring a separate pair of clean, non-marking, soft-soled
shoes or socks. Bring refreshments to share at the break.
Sunday, March 29 from 1–4 p.m.
Tracy Hall, Nor wich, VT
Admission $8, under 25 $4
Info: (802) 785-4121 (Chris)
Sponsored by Muskeg Music
Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015 Page 21
Vermont Country Calendar
(Museums, Exhibits and Galleries, continued)
BRATTLEBORO. Brattleboro Museum & Art Center.
Open 11-5. Closed Tues & Wed. Admission $6/$4/$3. 10
Vernon St. (802) 257-0124. www.brattleboromuseum.org.
BURLINGTON. ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science
Center. $9.50 adults, $7 ages 3-17, $8 seniors and students,
under 3 free. Monday–Sunday, 10 am – 5 pm. At Leahy
Center for Lake Champlain, One College St. (877) 3246385. info@echovermont.org. www.echovermont.org.
CHESTER. 103 Artisans Marketplace. Hand crafted gifts,
decorative accessories, small batch chocolates and Vermont
maple products. Owned by artists Elise & Payne Junker,
exclusive showroom of Junker Studio metalwork. Open
every day 10 am – 5 pm, closed Tuesday. Located on Rt.
103, south of town—look for the life-size moose! (802) 8757400. Gallery103.com.
ENOSBURG FALLS. Art Exhibit. Featured artist reception
first Sunday of every month, 1-3 pm. Open Wednesday
through Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm, Sunday 10-2 pm. Artist In
Residence—a Cooperative Gallery, 321 Main St.
(802) 933-6403. www.artistinresidencecoop.com.
GRAFTON. The Nature Museum at Grafton. Hands-on
natural history exhibits, mounted specimens and
wildlife garden, nature programs for adults and children,
plus tours for schools and community groups. Admission to
the Museum is free, donations welcome. Open Thursdays
from 10 am – 4 pm or by appointment. 186 Townshend Rd.
(802) 843-2111. info@nature-museum.org. www.naturemuseum.org.
MIDDLEBURY. Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont. The
oldest chartered community history museum in the United
States. Admission: adults $5, youth 6-18 $3, senior $4.50,
family $ 12, under 6 free. Open Tues-Sat 10 am – 5 pm.
Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History, One Park St.
(803) 388-2117. www.henrysheldonmuseum.org.
MIDDLEBURY. Vermont Folklife Center. Free admission.
Open Tues-Sat 10 am – 5 pm. Vermont Folklife Center, 88
Main St., (802) 388-4964. info@vermontfolklifecenter.org.
www.vermontfolklifecenter.org.
MONTPELIER. Vermont History Museum & Bookstore.
Adults: $5; families: $12; students, children, seniors: $3;
members and children under 6: free. Open 9 am – 4 pm,
Tuesday through Saturday. Pavilion Building, 109 State St.
(802) 828-2291. vhs-info@state.vt.us. vermonthistory.org.
NORWICH. Montshire Museum of Science. Exhibits, trails,
programs, and museum store. Open 10 am – 5 pm daily.
Admission $14 adults, $11 children 2-17, under 2 free. Open
daily 10 am – 5 pm. One Montshire Rd. (802) 649-2200.
www.montshire.org.
RUTLAND. Chaffee Art Center. Gallery open Thursday
and Friday 12-6 pm and Saturdays 12-5 pm. 16 South
Main St. (802) 775-0356. info@chaffeeartcenter.org.
www.chaffeeartcenter.org.
RUTLAND. Chaffee Downtown Art Center. Open TuesdayFriday 12-6 pm, and Saturday 10 am - 5 pm. Chaffee
Downtown Gallery, 75 Merchants Row. (802) 775-0062.
info@chaffeeartcenter.org. www.chaffeeartcenter.org.
GRAFTON. Art Exhibits. Open daily 10 am – 5 pm.
Gallery North Star, 151 Townshend Rd. (802) 843-2465.
gallery@gnsgrafton.com. www.gnsgrafton.com.
SAXTONS RIVER. River Artisans Cooperative. Year round,
weekdays from 12-5 pm and weekends from 10 am – 3 pm.
26B Main St. (802) 869-2099. www.riverartisans.com.
MANCHESTER. Southern Vermont Art Center. Open
Tues-Sat 10 am – 5 pm. Yester House Galleries, Southern
Vermont Arts Center, West Rd. (802) 362-1405. svac.org.
SAXTONS RIVER. Main Street Arts. Concerts, workshops,
lectures, and classes for adults, teens, and children.
Something for every interest. 35 Main St. (802) 869-2960.
www.mainstreetarts.org.
MANCHESTER. Visit Hildene, The Lincoln Family
Home. Summer home of presidential son, Robert Lincoln.
House, gardens, Pullman car, walking/cross country
ski trails, museum store and welcome center.
Admission: $18 adults, $5 children 6-14, under 6
free. Open daily 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. Hildene,
off Rt. 7A, just south of the village. (802)
362-1788. www.hildene.org.
SHOREHAM. Shoreham Bell Museum. See 5-6,000 bells
collected from all over the world. Open most afternoons by
appointment or chance year round. Free admission,
donations accepted. Shoreham Bell Museum, 127 Smith
St. off Rt. 74 west. For information call Judy Blake at
(802) 897-2780. vtcat@shorehambellmuseum.com.
www.shorehambellmuseum.com.
RIVERKNOLL – Rock Shop
554 VT Rt. 100 - Stockbridge, Vermont 05772
Gifts & Jewelry
Crystals & Mineral Specimens
Lapidary Equipment & Supplies
Gem Cutting Instruction
Collecting Equipment
Bead Restringing
The Gibsons
(802) 746-8198
MORSE FARM
MAPLE SUGARWORKS
Join the Adventure, Join the
Green Mountain Club!
Protecting and Maintaining
Vermont’s Long Trail Since 1910
4711 Waterbury-Stowe Rd., Waterbury Center, VT 05677
(802) 244-7037 • www.greenmountainclub.org
Locust Creek Outfitters
Outdoor Gear • Ice Fishing
Clothing & Footwear
Archery • Guns & Ammo
Open Daily 8–5:30 Mon–Fri
8–3 Sat • 9–1 Sun
802-234-5884
1815 River St., Bethel, VT
www.locustcreekoutfitters.com
Come for the Morse
Farm Experience!
Country Store • Sugar House
Woodshed Theatre • Maple Trail
Outdoor Farm Life Museum
Ski Touring Center
Green Mountain Feeds
Certified Organic Feeds:
Whimsical Carved Folklife Characters
Original Maple Kettle Corn. Made Fresh Daily.
Don’t miss our maple creemees!
200 Years
of Maple
Experience
Open to Visitors
Year-round 9–5, daily in summer 9–8.
We ship • (802) 223-2740 • morsefarm.com
1168 County Rd., Montpelier, VT
(Upper Main St., just 2.7 miles from downtown)
Maple Open House Weekend
— March 27, 28, 29, 2015 —
Sugar-on-Snow: Fri, Sat & Sun, Noon–4 pm
Pancake Breakfast: Saturday, 8:30–11:00 am
Hot Dogs Boiled in Sap: Sat & Sun, Noon–3 pm
Page 22 Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015
21% Poultry Starter
Grower Mash
17% Poultry Grower Pellet
19% Broiler Grower Crumbles
20% Calf Starter
Cracked Corn
Whole Corn
16% Dairy Pellet
20% Dairy Pellet
Natural Advantage 12 – Pellet
16% Layer Mash
16% Coarse Layer Mash
16% Layer Pellet
16% Pig Grower Pellet
16% Pig Grower Mash
Whole Roasted Soybean
16% Sheep & Goat Pellet
26% Turkey Starter Mash
21% Turkey Grower Pellets
Whole Barley
Whole Oats
Molasses (/Lb)
Redmond Salt
Redmond Blocks (44 lbs)
Kelpmeal
Scratch
Also Non-GMO Conventional Feed
All products available in standard 50# bags
Bulk available upon request
Store Hours:
Mon–Fri, 8 am – 5 pm
Sat, 8 am – 12 noon
Green Mountain Feeds
65 Main Street, Bethel, Vermont 05032
Phone: (802) 234-6278 • Fax: (802) 234-6578
www.greenmountainfeeds.com
SO. STRAFFORD. Mixed Media Works by Late Artist
Harlow Lent. On exhibit in Cafe 232 through the winter.
The paintings, completed from 1990-1992 incorporate oil
and acrylic on foil and can be viewed during café winter
hours: Wednesday through Friday 6 am – 2 pm; Saturday
7 am – 2 pm; and Sunday 8 am – 1 pm. 8-1. Free wifi.
Cafe 232, 232 Rt. 132, (802) 765-9232. (802) 885-6156.
www.nlwatercolor.com. cafe232.com.
SPRINGFIELD. Gallery at the VAULT. A Vermont State
Craft Center featuring fine art and hand-crafted gifts from
over 125 local and regional artists and craftsmen. Exhibits,
classes, workshops. 6th Tuesday - Saturday 11 am – 5 pm.
68 Main St. (802) 885-7111. galleryvault.org.
ST. JOHNSBURY. Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium.
Exhibits, programs, special events, wildflower table,
collections. Admission: adults $8, seniors and children
under 17 $6, under 5 free. Winter hours: Tues-Sat 9 am –
5 pm, Sun 1-5 pm. Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium,
1302 Main St. (802) 748-2372. fairbanksmuseum.org
WINDSOR. Cider Hill Gardens & Art Gallery. Gallery
open December through April by appointment. At 1747
Hunt Rd., off State St. Call for directions. (800) 232-4337.
flowers@ciderhillgardens.com. ciderhillgardens.com.
garymilek.com.
WOODSTOCK. ArtisTree Community Art Center.
Exhibits, classes, music, special events. Tuesday 11 am
– 8 pm, Wednesday-Saturday 11 am – 4 pm. Mount Tom
Building, 1206 Rt. 12. (802) 457-3500. info@artistreevt.org.
www.artistreevt.org.
COMMUNITY DANCES AND MUSIC
BENNINGTON. Contradance. Caller Peter Stix, music
by Spare Parts with Eric Buddington. All dances taught,
beginners are welcome. Come with or without a partner.
Admission $10. 7:30-10:30 pm. One World Conservation
Center, 413 Rt. 7 south. (802) 447-2173. info@bennington
dance.org. www.benningtondance.org. First Fridays.
BRATTLEBORO. Brattleboro Music Center. Individual
lessons, as well as classes for kids, teens, and adults;
instrumentalists, singers, and non-musicians; absolute
beginners and accomplished musicians. Daytime adult
program, programs for kids, conducting class.
Brattleboro Music Center, 38 Walnut St.
(802) 257-4523. www.bmcvt.org.
Wheeler Family Maple Museum
Grand Opening in Derby, VT
Come visit Jed’s Maple
Products in Derby, VT for
the Grand Opening of their
Wheeler Family Maple Museum on March 21 & 22 from
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Free Sugar-on-Snow and
wood-fired maple pizza will
be available both days. There
will be a bonfire on Saturday
from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. so dress
for outdoor weather. Bring
your family and explore how
our family has made maple
syrup over the generations.
Our museum is located in
the sugarhouse that Steve
Wheeler grew up sugaring in.
Weather permitting, we will
be boiling the old-fashioned
way in the museum.
Tours of our new ecofriendly modern sugarhouse
where we currently boil using high pressure steam and
used vegetable oil will also
be available. And there is a
gift shop and maple creemees! There are lots and lots
of tempting maple products
you can choose from including maple cotton candy and
ice cream toppings.
Shop hours are Monday
through Friday 8 a.m. – 4
p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.
– 4 p.m.
Directions: take VT Rt. 5
to Derby Center. At the intersection of VT Rts. 5/105/111
go left (yes, you are headed
right towards Canada)! Travel 0.4 miles to Nelson Hill
Rd. on the right. Proceed 0.5
miles to a Y in road. Take a
right onto Derby Pond Rd.
Jed’s Maple and the Wheeler
Family Maple Museum are
0.3 miles on the left.
For more information contact Steve & Amy Wheeler,
Wheeler Family Maple Museum, hosted by Jed’s Maple
Products, 259 Derby Pond
Rd., Derby, VT. Call (802)
766-2700. Visit www.jeds
maple.com.
vermont wild
Three bestselling volumes of true, laugh out loud game warden
adventures! Stories include: Moose Vesuvius, Raccoon Riot,
Stowe Turkey, Gimmee the Gun and dozens more. Illustrated.
Stories read
and loved
by ages
9 to 99!
Buy at bookstores, Kinney Drugs and shops throughout
Vermont. MAINE WILD too! E-BOOKS? YES!
Sneak preview, order online at VermontWild.com.
THESE VERMONT STORIES ARE GREAT GIFTS!
New “Wild” Book Coming in 2015!!!
CHESTER. Monthly Square Dance and Rounds.
Refreshments on sale in the kitchen. $5 donation at the
door. 7-11 pm. Also monthly Open Mike Country
Jamboree hosted by Green Mountain Express on third
Sundays monthly, admissio $5. Gassetts Grange, junction
of Rt. 10 & 103N. (802) 875-2637. Monthly on first
Saturdays.
PUTNEY. Green Mountain Orchards. Horse-drawn wagon
rides year-round by reservation. 130 West Hill Rd. (exit
4, I-91), look for signs in Putney Village. (802) 387-5851.
www.greenmtorchards.com.
Boosters. Visitors will be
greeted in the foyer by a
lovely garden design, courtesy of Dandelion Acres
Garden Center.
The Bethel Business Association will have a raffle
featuring prizes donated by
participating vendors and
local businesses.
The facility is handicap
accessible and admission is
free. The event is open to the
general public.
The Whitcomb High School
Gymnasium is located at 273
Pleasant St. in Bethel, VT.
For more information contact event organizer Nick
Nikolaidis at (802) 2345064. E-mail nick@nikolai
dis.com.
Bulbs and
Spring Flowers
In Bloom
Houseplants
Seed Starting Supplies
Bethel, VT • I-89 Exit 3, 1½ mi. west on Rt. 107
(802) 234-6622 • (888) 234-6622
— Open daily 9 am to 5:30 pm —
GERRY L. WHITE
SNOWMOBILE
PARTS & SALES
Biggest Inventory and Best Prices in the Area.
Large Selection of OEM and Aftermarket Parts.
Also, Many New & Used Small Engine Parts.
Open Evenings and
Weekends: (802) 234-9368
31 Arctic Cat Road, Bethel, VT
gwhite1948@myfairpoint.net
DAVARTISTS ARTWORKS
Matting & Framing
Original Prints & Paintings • Woodcrafts
Maryann Mayberry Davis
Portrait, Landscape, Wildlife Artist
George Andrew Davis—Pastel Artist
Open Daily. Closed Sunday.
(802) 234-5001 • Cell: (802) 310-2337
2190 VT Route 107, Bethel, VT 05032
ps t Stained Glass t Bears, Bears, Bears t Framed Prints t Tap
Three floors of unusual crafts,
beautiful gifts, and home accessories.
Spring is Coming!
Maple Sugaring Season!
Bunnies & Easter Decor
Try our Maple Jelly Beans !
Lots of Maple Products
Homemade Maple Walnut
& Maple Fudge
VT Maple Truffles • Aussie Soaps • Windchimes
Vermont Logo Candles by Crossroads • Linens
Kringle, McCalls & Woodwick Candles
Sweet Grass Farm Soaps & Lotions • VT Food Lines
Willow Tree Figurines • Braided & Hooked Rugs
Silver Forest Jewelry • Wendell August Metalcraft
Trivets & Coasters • Sweat Shirts, Socks, & Scarves
Rt. 107, Royalton, VT
(802) 763-2537 • I-89 Exit 3 (Bethel)
Open Daily 10–6 We Ship VISA, MC
estries t Bath Products t Incense & Oils t Maple Products t Gourmet Foods
RUPERT. Winter Sleigh Rides. In a Sweetheart Sleigh
built for two; fee $150 for a 45 minute tour around the
wintry landscape of the farm and forest. Group sleigh rides
FAIRLEE. Scottish Country Dance. All dances taught.
Beginners welcome. Bring soft-soled shoes. Admission $3, in a 12-person sleigh for $185 for 45 minutes through
first time free. 7-9 pm. Town Hall, 75 Town Common Rd., the woods and through the fields. Call to reserve. Merck
off Rt. 5. (802) 439-3459. Every Wednesday through June. Forest and Farmland, 3270 Rt. 315, west of Manchester.
(802) 394-7836. merckforest.org. Saturdays and Sundays
through March.
MONTPELIER. Contra Dance. All dances taught, no
partner necessary, beginners welcome! Please bring softWILMINGTON. Scenic Horseback Trail Rides. $25/40
soled shoes. 8-11 pm. Capital City Grange, 6612 Rt. 12.
youngtraditionvermont.org. 1st, 3rd and 5th Saturdays with minutes. Children over 6 can ride alone. Year round seven
days a week by reservation. Flames Stables, Rt. 100 south.
rotating callers and musicians.
(802) 464-8329.
NORWICH. English Country Dance. Music by Trip to
Norwich: Carol Compton on keyboard, accordion, and
RECREATION & NATURE CENTERS
recorders; Thal Aylward on violin and viola. Calling by
BENSON. Obstacle Race Training Center and Indoor
Chris Levey. All dances taught, no partner needed. All
Gym. Natural terrain with 50 man-made obstacles over five
are welcome. Please bring a clean change of shoes for the
dance floor. Refreshments provided. Admission: $8 adults, miles. Events and races. Monthly memberships. Iceberg
footwear for sale. Open year round regardless of the
$4 ages 25 and under. 3-6 pm. Tracy Hall, 300 Main St.
weather. Shale Hill Adventure Farm, 517 Lake Rd. (802)
(802) 785-4121. engineering.dartmouth.edu/~d26745m/
537-3561. shalehilladventure@aol.com.
localECD. March 29, April 19.
www.shalehilladventure.com.
NORWICH. Contradance with Northern Spy and caller
EAST CHARLESTON. Northwoods Stewardship Center.
David Millstone. No partner necessary. Beginners and
Outdoor programs, outings, workshops, classes, and more.
singles always welcome. All dances taught and called.
154 Leadership Dr. (802) 723-6551 x 115.
Please bring a change of clean shoes for the dance
www.northwoodscenter.org.
floor. Admission $8 (Students $5, under 16 free). 8 pm.
Tracy Hall, 300 Main St. (802) 785-4607. rbarrows@
GRAFTON. Grafton Ponds Outdoor Center. A yearcs.dartmouth.edu. Second Saturdays.
round recreation center. . In the winter enjoy cross country
skiing with snowmaking, snowshoeing, and snowtubing.
NORWICH. Contradance. Music by Cuckoo’s Nest,
Mountain biking, bike terrain park, hiking, canoeing.
caller Ruth Sylvester. Please bring a pair of clean, soft783 Townshend Rd. (802) 843-2400. graftonponds.com.
soled shoes for dancing. All dances taught. Beginners and
singles welcome. Admission $5, under 16 free. Sponsored
by Muskeg Music. 8 pm. At Tracey Hall, 300 Main St. For HUNTINGTON. Monthly Bird Monitoring Walk. Help
monitor bird populations in the different habitats at the
information call (802) 785-4607. Fourth Saturdays.
Green Mountain Audubon Center. Our monthly walks
gather long-term data on the presence of bird species,
NORWICH. Social Singing from The Sacred Harp.
their abundance, and changes in populations. Donation
Early American hymns in the shape note tradition. Free
appreciated. 8-10 am. Green Mountain Audubon Center,
and open to the public, no experience necessary, loaner
255 Sherman Hollow Rd. (802) 434-3068.
books provided. Not a performance or church function,
Vermont@audubon.org. www.vt.audubon.org.
just fellowship in song.1:30-4:30 pm. Parish Hall of St.
Barnabas Episcopal Church, 262 Main St. For information
contact Daniel Hertzler at danhertzler@gmail.com. Fourth MONTPELIER. North Branch Nature Center. Programs
and workshops, hikes, bird counts. 713 Elm Street.
Sundays.
(802) 229-6206. chip@northbranchnaturecenter.org.
northbranchnaturecenter.org.
PLAINFIELD. Monthly Sacred Harp Sing. A free event,
with beginners and loaner books available. The second
QUECHEE. Vermont Institute of Natural Science Nature
Sunday of every month at 3 to 5 pm at the Community
Center. Exhibits, programs, nature trail, live bird programs
Center above the Plainfield Co-op. For more information,
and animal feeding time, nature store. Admission: adults
call (802) 595-9951. nscottieharrison@gmail.com.
$13, seniors $12, youth (4-17) $11. 10 am – 5 pm. VINS
Nature Center, 6565 Woodstock Rd., Rt. 4, 1/4 mile west
TUNBRIDGE. Ed Larkin Contra Dancers Open House.
of Quechee Gorge. (802) 359-5000. info@vinsweb.org.
$8 per person. Refreshments at intermission. 7:30-10
www.vinsweb.org.
pm at the Tunbridge Town Hall, Rt. 110. For info e-mail
clydo46@gmail.com. Second Fridays through May.
RUPERT. Merck Forest and Farmland. Camping, cabins,
trails, farm, workshops and seasonal events. Visitor’s
WEST NEWBURY. Eastern Square Dance. Traditional
Center and store with certified organic maple syrup, our
singing squares, waltzes, polkas, foxtrots, two-steps,
own 100% wool blankets, and more. Help with animal
Virginia Reel, Portland Fancy, Paul Jones, others. All
chores Saturdays 2-4 pm. Open year round, dawn to
dances taught. With Adam Boyce, fiddler/caller, Donna
dusk. 3270 Rt. 315, west of Manchester. (802) 394-7836.
Weston on piano. Admission by donation, all ages
merckforest.org.
welcome. 7:30 pm at the Community Hall at 219 Tyler
Farm Rd. (802) 429-2316 or adamrboyce@juno.com.
SHELBURNE. Shelburne Farms. Welcome Center, Farm
Fourth Saturdays.
and Farm Store. Open year round 10 am – 5 pm. Enjoy
eight miles of walking trails in woodlands and meadows.
HORSEBACK RIDING,
Walkers, check in with the Welcome Center. Admission.
Shelburne Farms, 1611 Harbor Rd. off Rt. 7.
SLEIGH & WAGON RIDES
(802) 985-8686. www.shelburnefarms.org.
CHITTENDEN. Horse-Drawn Sleigh Rides. 30-minute
rides Wednesday through Sunday. $30 for 15 years
WOODSTOCK. Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National
and older, $20 for 4 - 14 years, 3 and under free.
Historic Park. Trails, carriage roads, gardens and a
Private rides available. To reserve, call the Nordic Ski
mansion at Vermont’s only national park. Admission: $4 or
& Snowshoe Center at (802) 483-6089 from 9 am
$8, under 15 free. Walk the grounds for free. Guided tours,
– 5 pm or after hours call the front desk at (802) 483reservations available. 10 am – 5 pm daily. 54 Elm St.
2311. Mountain Top Inn & Resort, 195 Mountain Top Rd. (802) 457-3368. www.nps.gov/mabi/index.htm.
www.mountaintopinn.com. Wednesdays through Sundays
through March.
Potpouri t Baskets t Pottery t Candles t Music t VT Souvenirs t Cards t Lam
BURLINGTON. Shapenote Singing. Bring water and
a copy of the Sacred Harp book, if you have it. 6:308:30 pm. Check in advance for specific location at
UVM: sometimes Ira Allen Chapel, sometimes 427-A
Waterman Building. uvm.shape.note@gmail.com.
youngtraditionvermont.org. Every Tuesday.
LONDONDERRY. Sleigh and Wagon Rides at Taylor
Farm. Sleighs run 11 am – 6 pm every hour on the hour
Friday, Saturday and Sunday (closed Christmas Eve and
Christmas Day). Rides last 45 minutes and include a
fireside stop to toast marshmallows and enjoy hot cider.
Wool blankets provided. Come early and pack up a picnic
basket of goodies from our farm store. We will host sleigh
rides well into the Spring if we have enough snow! Our
sleighs each hold up to 10 adults. Prices: $20 for everyone
over age 7, $10 for ages 7-2, under 2 free; private rides
$150 for 1-5 people, $200 for 6-10 people. Mid-week
private rides available on request with advance notice.
Taylor Farm, 825 Rt. 11. By reservation only, call
(802) 824-5690. www.taylorfarmvermont.com.
t
BRATTLEBORO. Social Singing from The Sacred
Harp. Early American hymns in the shape note tradition.
Free and open to the public, no experience necessary,
loaner books provided. 3-5:30 pm. Centre Congregational
Church, 193 Main St. Information: laurat@crocker.com.
Third Sundays.
The 10th Annual Home
Show and Business Expo will
take place Saturday, March
7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at
the Whitcomb High School
Gymnasium in Bethel, VT.
Hosted by The Bethel
Business Association this
Expo has become a popular
addition to the events calendar of Bethel, Vermont.
There will be many exhibitors with numerous interesting items on display and for
sale. The Bethel Business
Association is proud to sponsor this event which gives our
local businesses a chance to
show and tell about their
products and services.
Delicious home-cooked
food will be available by
the Whitcomb High School
t
Vermont Country
Calendar
10th Annual Home Show and
Business Expo in Bethel, VT
+FXFMSZt#SBJEFE)PPLFE3VHTt75/))BOEDSBęT
Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015 Page 23
North Country Reflections
A Walk in the Park: Plan to Visit Some Great Gardens by Judith Irven
Even before the arrival of spring, Vermonters are eagerly
anticipating summer! And, for me, no summer is complete
without visiting a few beautiful public gardens. Whether or
not you have a garden of your own, may I suggest the perfect
summer pastime of an afternoon in an exquisite garden that
somebody else has created!
Some of my most cherished memories are many happy
hours with my mother at the magnificent garden at Sissinghurst (about 20 miles from our home in southeast England).
Here we would wander through the different garden spaces,
embrace the sights and smells of growing things and, all the
while, chat together about who knows what!
At that point in my life I had no interest whatsoever in
actual gardening; nothing could persuade me to dig the earth
and then wait interminably for the flowers and vegetables
to mature. But, despite my teenage apathy towards physical
gardening, those ‘garden days’ with my mother were cherished times to savor forever.
Today, as a practical Vermont gardener, when I go to public
gardens I usually carry a small camera to record the name of
the occasional plant I might want to grow in my own garden.
But mainly I go for the thrill of experiencing the beauty and
serenity that only a lovely garden can offer.
So, for gardeners and the non-gardeners alike, I would like
to share with you three wonderful garden destinations along
the Maine coast which could make delightful additions to
your summer travels.
Mount Desert Island, Maine
Many people make a point of visiting the stunning Arcadia
National Park on Mount Desert Island. But few visitors are
aware that, just beyond the park’s boundaries in the little
village of Northeast Harbor, a pair of exquisite gardens with
a rich shared history, await your discovery.
Almost sixty years ago Charles Savage, a self-taught but
extremely skillful landscape designer, created both Asticou
Azalea Garden and Thuya Garden.
And, although a life-long native of Northeast Harbor,
Charles always mingled comfortably with the well-to-do
‘summer folk’ who maintained properties in Northeast
Harbor. Among his summer friends were two respected landscape architects, Joseph Curtis and Beatrix Farrand, as well
as the philanthropist, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Not only was
JDR instrumental in developing the carriage road system in
Arcadia National Park, but he also financed the two gardens
that are the subject of this story.
The impetus for creating both gardens was Beatrix Farrand’s sudden decision to completely destroy her renowned
collection of mature shrubs and perennials when she moved
to a smaller home. Absolutely horrified, Charles persuaded
his friend, JDR, to purchase and then move the entire plant
collection to a new garden he would create in the swampy
land at the head of the Northeast Harbor inlet.
Charles oversaw the extensive site preparation—draining
the land, creating rocky waterways and finally the Great
Pond. Then he managed the relocation of hundreds of full
size plants—azaleas, evergreens and more—from the Farrand property.
The result was Asticou Azalea Garden, a serene ‘stroll
garden’ based on Japanese design ideals, while also reflecting
the topography and plants of the Maine coast.
We entered through the formal Japanese gateway to discover magnificent carpets of pincushion moss on either side
of the gravel pathway. We watched, almost in disbelief, as
an attendant gently brushed the moss to remove any stray
pine needles that might have dropped the previous night.
Then we took the wide flowing sandy path, edged with azaleas, following a small brook strewn with weathered Maine
boulders. We discovered the perfectly-raked sand garden with
Asticou Azalea Garden in Northeast Harbor, Maine, near Arcadia National Park. photo by Dick Conrad
carefully positioned rocks, in its entirety signifying coastal
islands in a shimmering sea. Finally we arrived at the Great
Pond, complete with a grand collection of elegantly pruned
evergreens and yet more azaleas.
We visited Asticou in September, just as the autumnal hues
were coming in. However, if you want to see the azaleas in
bloom, plan your visit for late May or June.
Beatrix Farrand’s plant collection also became the basis
of Charles Savage’s second great creation, Thuya Garden.
By contrast, Thuya is set high on an enclosed hilltop, where
it surrounds Thuya Lodge, the longtime home of Savage’s
landscape architect friend, Joseph Curtis.
Visitors usually approach Thuya Garden on foot, ascending
a rocky staircase known as the Asticou Terraces to a pair of
grand carved gates that announce you have arrived at your
destination. (For people unable to make the climb, there is
handicap parking available at Thuya Lodge)
Although Thuya and Asticou are the creation of a single
designer using the same collection of Farrand plants, the
two gardens feel a world apart. Asticou offers a journey of
discovery through serene flowing spaces. By contrast, Thuya
has the feel of an English garden. When sitting in the Lower
Pavilion, at a single glance you can see the full expanse of the
largest perennial bed. There are also waves of colorful flowers that remind us of early twentieth century gardens created
by English notables Gertrude Jekyll and William Robinson.
Today both gardens are beautifully maintained by the
Land and Garden Preserve, which also has many lovely
photographs on their website: http://gardenpreserve.org/
index.html.
The Botanical Gardens encompass some 20 acres of
cultivated areas within an expansive 250 acre site, so you
should set aside a full day for exploration. Indeed shuttle
buses are available to take visitors to and from the farther
reaches of the site.
The Botanical Gardens are actually made up of a number
of individual garden spaces, like a collection of ‘Gardens
within a Garden’, each with its own personality, look and
feel. The entire site is beautifully laid out, so that you can
effortlessly move about both within the individual garden
spaces and, equally important, between them.
We especially enjoyed the Sensory Garden, designed to
appeal to all our senses. In addition to the visual treat of lots
of colorful flowers, there is water to hear, stones to touch,
leaves to smell and herbs to taste.
Another highlight is the Children’s Garden, a lively,
imaginative space to be enjoyed by kids of all ages (including
ourselves). We were especially taken by the playful labyrinth
cut into the lawn, and whimsical child-sized barns, one with
a shaggy grass roof, where small classes were conducted
throughout the season. Nearby two chatty chickens and their
handsome rooster scratched away in the dirt.
We also loved the long serpentine walkway, surrounded by
native plants of the Maine forests, leading down to a gentle
Meditation Garden by the sea.
Like many of our home gardens, the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens are relatively young, which means that the
shrubs and newly planted trees still have plenty growing
to do. But these gardens are anything but sparse. Far from
it—every last growing space brims with beautiful perennials
and colorful annuals. But, growing in the wings, I spotted
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
plenty of small shrubs that, in a decade or so, will start to
It is an easy three-hour drive from Mount Desert Island to predominate. Gardens are never static creations!!
Boothbay Harbor and the beautiful Coastal Maine Botanical
Gardens.
For more pictures visit http://northcountryreflections.com.
Judith Irven is a landscape designer and Vermont Certified
Horticulturist. You can hear her speak at this year’s Vermont
Flower Show in Essex Junction: “The Artful Garden—Decorating Our Outdoor Spaces”, 12 noon on Friday, February
27; and “The Armchair Gardener—Regional Gardens to
Visit and Enjoy”, at 12 noon on Saturday, February 28. Visit
greenworksvermont.org.
Judith Irven and her husband Dick Conrad live in
Goshen, VT where together they nurture a large garden.
You can subscribe to Judith’s blog about her Vermont
gardening life at www.northcountryreflections.com.
Dick Conrad is a landscape and garden photographer; to
see his photographs go to www.northcountryimpressions.
com.
“It Runs
in the
Family”
Family
Operated
Since 1942
We Ship • Maple Syrup, Cream, Sugar,
And Maple Sugar Covered Nuts
Call to see if we’ve started boiling • Visitors Welcome
1089 Silloway Rd., Randolph Center, VT
(802) 272-6249 • www.sillowaymaple.com •
photo by Dick Conrad
The little children’s barns in the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay Harbor, Maine.
Page 24 Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015
Open House Saturday, March 28 from 10 am on
And Sunday, March 29 from 1 pm on.
Old-Fashioned Raised Doughnuts with
Hot Maple Syrup & Sugar-on-Snow.
Randolph, VT
Russian Piano Duo
Perform at Chandler
Sunday, March 21
Moscow-born pianist Vassily Primakov made his first
appearance in Central Vermont at Chandler Music Hall in
Randolph in the fall a year ago with a stunning all-Chopin
recital. In the audience was his friend and piano partner,
Natalia Lavrova. The pair is returning to Randolph, this time
with both of them on the stage for a combined concert of
piano four hands and solo works. This unusual performance
will take place at Chandler on Saturday evening, March 21
at 7:30 p.m.
Mr. Primakov will perform the monumental, technically
challenging Fantasie in C major, Op. 15, popularly known as
the Wanderer Fantasy, and Ms. Lavrova will offer the longneglected Corelli Variations, Opus. 42 of Rachmaninoff, his
last composition written for solo piano. Together the pair
will perform Czerny’s Grande Sonata in f minor and Rachmaninoff’s 6 Pieces, Op. 11. There will be reception held in
the Chandler Gallery following the concert.
The duo will give a preview of this concert as the guests of
VPR Classical host, Walter Parker, in the Colchester studio
on Friday, morning, March 20. at 11 a.m.
❧
❧
❧
The Lavrova/Primakov Duo was established in August
2010. They have performed extensively throughout the USA
and garnered accolades from audiences and critics. Fanfare
Magazine writes, “Lavrova and Primakov take turns playing
the Piano I and Piano II parts, but technically and tonally
they are so well-matched, you wouldn’t know who was on
first and who was on second.”
The duo muses, “We feel that our strength is in being two,
very individual performers, long standing friends and collaborators and this keeps us constantly grounded in promoting projects we feel a responsibility toward. We enter every
situation, concert and project with a level of pride, respect
and devotion and we sincerely hope that this will translate
to our listeners.”
Primakov’s first piano studies were with his mother, Marina Primakova. He entered Moscow’s Central Special Music
School at the age of eleven as a pupil of Vera Gornostaeva,
and at 17 came to New York to pursue studies at the Juilliard
School with the noted pianist, Jerome Lowenthal.
Natalia Lavrova was born in Moscow in 1981. She earned
her Bachelor of Music and Masters of Music degrees at Juilliard, under the tutelage of Jerome Lowenthal.
In November 2011 Ms. Lavrova and Mr. Primakov established their own record label, LP Classics, an initiative
committed to unearthing lost historical gems, presenting
never-before-released recordings, and enriching the discographies of emerging stars of the new generation. Included
in their catalogue are three of their own discs, a collection
of Arensky Suites, of Rachmaninoff works, and of sonatas
written for and dedicated to them by their South African
composer friend, Braam van Eden.
Each of the artists is recognized internationally. Vassily
Primakov has been hailed as a pianist of world class importance, has won a number of performance prizes, and
his recording of Chopin’s Mazurkas was named best of the
Again
One day, not here, you will find a hand
Stretched out to you as you walk down some heavenly
street;
You will see a stranger scarred from head to feet;
But when he speaks to you you will not understand,
Nor yet who wounded him nor why his wounds are sweet.
And saying nothing, letting go his hand,
You will leave him in the heavenly street—
So we shall meet!
—CHARLOTTE MEW
photo by Alex Fedorov
Pianists Natalia Lavrova and Vassily Primakov will perform at Chandler Music Hall on March 21.
year by National Public Radio. Natalia Lavrova is a highly
regarded performer of multi-faceted artistry with recitals
throughout Europe and the US. She is also the founder and
director of the Music School of New York City. Both of the
partners are Yamaha Artists.
Tickets to the performance in the Main Hall may be purchased online at www.chandler-arts.org or by calling the box
office at (802) 728-6464 weekdays 3-6 p.m.
This concert is presented by Chandler Center for the Arts
and is sponsored by Vermont Public Radio, the National
Endowment for the Arts, the Vermont Arts Council, and
Friends of the Classics at Chandler.
Lower Stock Farm Road
Randolph, Vermont
Chandler Music Hall is located at 71-73 Main St. in
Randolph, VT. It is handicapped accessible and equipped
for the hearing impaired. For more information call (802)
728-9878. Visit www.chandler-arts.org.
For the Best
All Season Sports Equipment
1869-1928
^
Contradance
with
^
SINCE 1830
Northern Spy
^
GUNS • HANDGUNS • AMMO • SCOPES
David Millstone, caller
8 pm, Saturday, March 14th
Tracy Hall, Norwich, VT
Admission $8 (students $5, under 16 free, seniors by donation)
(802) 785-4607 • rbarrows@cs.dartmouth.edu
^
All dances taught. Beginners welcome. No partner necessary.
Please bring a separate pair of soft-soled shoes for dancing.
Large In-Stock Inventory of Hunting Rifles, Shotguns
and Handguns • Reloading Supplies • Buck Knives
Hunting & Work Boots • Muzzle Loading Supplies
and Accessories • Hunting & Fishing Licenses
Fishing Gear: Flies, Lures, Trilene Line,
Night Crawlers and Worms in Season
“We’re the Capitol of Trades
Home of the Wheeler Dealer!”
Complete Line of Groceries & Beer.
-ALL-FIX
FARM
Farm Machinery Repair
Specializing in Repairs & Restoration of Older Tractors
1236 Rt. 12N, Randolph, VT • (802) 728-3390
(Across from Mid-State Riding Rink)
“Oil Change to Overhaul”
Jonsered Chain Saws
New and Used Tractor Parts
Ariens Snow Blowers
Open Mon–Fri 8–5, Sat 8–Noon
– Mike McPhetres –
GIFT
Open weekdays 12-6 pm,
Sat & Sun 10-6, closed Mon. CERTIFICATES
Route 12,
East Braintree, VT
(802) 728-5252
snowsville.com
“One of Vermont’s
Premier Real Estate Developments”
• 1,300 acres and 18 miles of trails.
• Spectacular 10 to 60 acre building sites starting
at $100,000 with 95% financing.
• Extensive 18 mile set of trails that criss cross
through woods, wide open fields and streams.
• Fronting on three miles of the Third Branch of
the White River and adjacent 18-hole Montague
Golf Club.
• Centered around the beautiful Three Stallion Inn.
• “The best lodging, dining, and sporting
experience in Central Vermont.”
• Golf – Tennis – Biking – Hiking – Pool – Fishing
Horseback Riding – X-C Skiing – Snowshoeing
For information or viewing, please contact:
Sam Sammis, Owner - 802-522-8500
Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015 Page 25
NEWS FROM VERMONT Mysteries for Sure
by Burr Morse
Life on these frigid days provides mysteries galore. Our
trees stand like frozen ghosts making distressed cracking
and popping sounds. The same ponds that are blue and
inviting in July, sit stark, home to ice augers, pickup trucks,
and men fishing on frozen water. Heck, even the earth itself
is locked in a thick, impenetrable armor! Yet life magically
goes on. Like yesterday when our employee Glee looked out
the south window to witness trillions of tiny silver crystals
dancing in the sun. Even this old curmudgeon had to admit,
“it’s beautiful...it’s mysterious”.
And then there’s the hoar frost. “The ‘what’ frost, you
say?” That’s hoar frost. “Hoar” is an old English word
which means “showing signs of old age”. My dad used to
say in thick Vermontese, “looks like th’old hoaah visited in
th’night.” Translation: our trees had mysteriously “matured”
overnight with flowing white beards and hair. Hoar frost is
a good thing. It’s beautiful and mysterious!
And speaking of my dad and Vermont mysteries, he’s been
visiting a lot lately right along with those dancing crystals
and our recent hoar frost. So far four folks have come to me
with reports that they feel Harry Morse’s presence around the
farm. Dad was the main man at Morse Farm for many years
but departed for the great beyond back in 1999. We knew
we’d never forget him but were not aware that he’d “force
the issue” like he’s been doing lately. Tammy our cleaning
lady recently called me up. “Your dad was here the other
night...knew it when the cellar door opened and then closed
going ‘bump, bump, bump’ the way it does.” She went on to
describe this powerful “presence” in the store late that night
as she and her son cleaned.
I relayed her message to the others at work the next day
and, much to my surprise, two more folks seemed to confirm
it. My nephew Jake said he was canning syrup the other day
when he heard, clear as a bell, “Hi there” from the top of the
stairs. Jake said he responded “c’mon down” and expected to
see his visitor descend to the canning room. “When nobody
appeared,” he said, “I went up to look around and there was
no one anywhere.” He said it was his Grandpa Harry’s voice.
Harry Morse never was very “long winded.” A simple “hi,
there” was sufficient to let Jake know his grandpa was around
checkin’ on him!
Our bookkeeper Rob stayed after the store closed one
recent night fighting a testy trial balance or some such thing.
He reported feeling a powerful presence. “Just me and Quick-
Books,” Rob said, “but there was someone else there, too.”
I told Rob it was no doubt my dad—he always did want to
keep a close tab on our money matters!
I must admit that winter’s never been my time of year.
The first frigid January day’ll bring powerful thoughts of
buttercups and new mown hay. And ponds are meant to be
blue and swimmable. Heck there’s only one guy who could
truly walk on water and he weren’t wearin’ Carhartts and
Yaktraxs! But I’m a Vermonter and the “tough winter pill,”
alas, must be swallered! That said, I’m glad for mysterious
crystals dancing in the sun, ridgelines made old by hoar
frost, and, yes, an occasional visit by Dad just to warm us
on those frigid winter days.
Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks is located at 1168 County
Rd., Montpelier, VT and is open year-round. Visitors welcome! Come see their Country Store with Vermont products
and gifts, maple, and pasture-raised local beef and bacon.
Tour the Sugarhouse, Woodshed Theater, Outdoor Farmhouse Museum, Cross-Country Ski Center and more.
To order Cabot cheddar cheese and maple products by
mail, call (800) 242-2740 or visit morsefarm.com.
Vermont Winter
Doe Camp
Vermont Scenic Prints
Original hand pulled, signed blockprints of
“The Northeast Kingdom” and other Vermont locations.
Many designs available.
March 6-8, 2015
A Winter Retreat for Adventurous Women
Also available as blank cards and
8x10 double matted reproduction prints.
Jeff Gold Graphics
2181 Walden Hill Road, Danville, VT 05828-9811
jnegold@myfairpoint.net • (802) 684-9728
http://sites.google.com/site/vermontprints/
photo by Jeff Gold
Woodland in Danville, VT after an ice storm.
Stay in heated cabins at night and play in the
snow all day. Learn winter outdoors skills in 33 classes.
(802) 425-6211 • vow@voga.org
Visit our website: outdoorswoman.org
Facebook: vermontoutdoorswoman
Hulbert Outdoor Center, Fairlee, VT
— A Vermont Outdoors Woman Event —
Muskeg Music
SILVER MAPLE LODGE
& COTTAGES
Presents a
CONTRA
DANCE
Burr Morse’s
Microwave Sugar-on-Snow Recipe
Here’s another way to use maple syrup. It’ll taste great
and it’ll also be a great way to break up the doldrums of a
long wintah.
Make the snow with your food processor and ice cubes
(let the snow melt enough to be sticky, pack it down flat in a
bowl, and then stick it in a freezer to firm back up).
Put 1/3 cup of maple syrup (use one of the three lightestcolored grades) in a microwave. Add a small bit (1/8 teaspoon) of butter. Microwave on high for two minutes. At the
end of two minutes, take a small amount out on a teaspoon,
cool it slightly on the snow, and pour it on the snow. If it
does not “set up”, microwave for a few more seconds. Keep
doing this (up to a total of three minutes) until the boiled
syrup “sets up” on the snow. When done right, it can be
balled up like taffy with fork.
Eat it with plain donuts and dill pickles. This amount provides a “taste” for three people who’ll like it so much you’ll
immediately have to make another batch! This unique Vermont tradition was handed down through seven generations
to me (well, all except the food processor and microwave)!
The Sky Blue Boys, Dan and
Willy, Entertain During March
In the tradition of the legendary Banjo Dan and the
Mid-nite Plowboys, Dan
and Willy—The Sky Blue
Boys—are set to launch another season of crackerjack
performances around the
Northeast. Here’s how things
are shaping up for March.
March 28: Northwoods
Stewardship Center, 154
L e a d e r s h i p D r. , E a s t
Charleston, VT. Kingdom
Coffeehouse at 7 p.m. It’s
gonna be cabin fever time
by late March. Better shovel
out and warm up with some
good live music. Get directions from www.northwoods
Jct. Rt. 10 & 25A
Orford, NH
(603) 353-4611
Cuckoo’s Nest
Caller: Ruth Sylvester
Consignment Shop
M
Silver Maple Lodge Circa 1920
Old Time Vermont Vacation Value
A Bed & Breakfast Country Inn Convenient to All Season Recreation,
Cross Country and Downhill Skiing and Ice Skating.
$84–$119 dbl. occ. Call or write for brochure 1-800-666-1946 • www.silvermaplelodge.com
Route 5, S. Main St., Fairlee, VT 05045 • (802) 333-4326
Page 26 Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015
Tracy Hall,
Nor wich, VT
Admission $8, over 60
by donation, under 16 free!
All 19 (that’s right – nineteen!) albums are available
on CD (one is a DVD) mostly
as reissues at bargain prices.
To order go to www.banjo
dan.com.
Open Tues–Sat 10–4
with
March 28, 2015 • 8 pm
center.org or call (802) 7234705.
March 29: Dakin Farm,
Rt. 7, Ferrisburgh, VT. Annual Sugar-on-Snow Party,
noon to 3 p.m. featuring
a pancake breakfast starting around 10 a.m. with
music getting underway as
the tables clear. Bring your
appetite and enjoy the sweet
scene. www.dakinfarm.com.
u ee
Q
c
Featuring Katie’s Korner
Brand Name Teen Clothing!
n’s Tack S
Over 400
Saddles!
ho
p
ONGOING
SALE!
New & Used Tack and Apparel Bought ’n’ Sold
Courbette, Weaver, Devon-Aire, Pro Choice, Leanin’ Tree, EQ
Compare My Prices • Open Your Hours
Bring a separate pair of clean,
soft-soled shoes for dancing.
Kathy McQueen • 802-785-4493 • www.mcqueenstack.com
(802) 785-4607
2 miles up Gove Hill Rd., off Rt. 132, Thetford, VT
photo by Greg Maino
Amy Kelsey, Matt Larson, and Emily Licht passing through a powder portal on section 22 of the Catamount Trail between Bolton Valley and Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, VT.
Stowe, VT
Catamount Trail Classic Fun-Raising
Tour, on Sunday, March 15th
Come explore one of the most challenging and beautiful
backcountry ski trails in North America on The Catamount
Trail Classic, Sunday, March 15. Explore Section 22 of the
Catamount Trail, as it runs between Bolton Valley Resort and
the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, VT and help support the
Catamount Trail Association’s Ski Cubs Youth Ski Program.
The Catamount Trail Classic is designed for experienced
skiers who have a true sense of adventure and are prepared for
the unexpected. Each individual is required to bring a small
backpack with food, water, and extra clothes since there will
be no official aid stations on the course. Climbing skins are
highly recommended. You will be challenged by the terrain
and rewarded with great descents and spectacular views.
The day will start at the Trapp Family Lodge where a bus
will pick you up at 8 a.m. and transport you to the Bolton
Valley Resort where the tour will begin. We will leave from
the Bolton Valley Nordic Center and follow Section 22 of
the Catamount Trail (blue diamonds) up and over Bolton
Mountain to Nebraska Valley Road, eventually returning to
the Trapp Family Lodge.
Upon arrival at the Trapp Family Lodge we will gather at
Trapps to enjoy food, “refreshments” and socialize. All tour
proceeds will go to benefit the Catamount Trail Association
Ski Cubs Youth Ski Program which exposes youth to the
benefits of a healthy lifestyle and provides a fun, winter
alternative to typical indoor entertainment.
Tour participants should expect to take between five and
seven hours. Conditions on the course can vary significantly
and will play a large role in determining how long it takes
to finish this section of the Catamount Trail.
This beautiful but physically challenging course is 17km
in length and starts at the Bolton Valley Nordic Center, with
a 1300-ft. climb over Bolton Mountain and a 2300-ft. vertical
descent to the Trapp Family Touring Center in Stowe, VT.
70% of the trail is ungroomed, while the other 30% will be
on groomed nordic center trails.
Schedule
7:30 a.m. – Registration and packet pickup inside the Yurt
at the Trapp Family Lodge
8:00 a.m. – Shuttle pickup at Trapp Family Lodge
9:00 a.m. – Arrive at Bolton Valley Resort and start skiing!
3:00 p.m. – Food & refreshments at the Trapp Family
Lodge…invite your friends!
The registration price for the Catamount Trail Classic
includes trail access at both Bolton Valley and the Trapp
Family Lodge, shuttle service from Trapps to Bolton, and
music and food at the end of the day.
The base price for participating in the Catamount Trail
Classic is $50. When you go to register you will notice that
there are additional giving options. Please think about all of
the Vermont youth that have experienced a healthy, winter,
outdoor activity because of the CTA SkiCubs program and
consider giving an amount above and beyond the base price.
Besides the base price of $50 there are additional options at
of $75, $100, $150, $200 and $500.
Registration is now open. Sign up for the Catamount Trail
Classic on Skireg.com. There are a limited number of seats
on the bus, so sign up early to ensure you don’t miss out!
Please direct any questions to gmaino@catamounttrail.
org. Registration will close on Friday, March 13th at 12 p.m.
There will be no event day registration.
Trapp Family Lodge is located at 700 Trapp Hill Rd.,
Stowe, VT. For more information call (802) 864-5794 or
e-mail Greg Maino at gmaino@catamounttrail.org. Visit
www.catamounttrail.org.
Ever-Changing Art Exhibit Fine organic coffees, locally
crafted Vermont teas, homemade
baked goods including gluten free
options, and weekly specials.
102 Depot St., Lyndonville, VT • (802) 535-3939
Open 6 days, Mon-Fri 7:30-6, Sat 8-6
We Now Have Nutty Steph’s Fine Chocolates
Northeast
Kingdom
Leather
All Types of Leather Repairs
Equine, Saddle, Tack, Motorcycle,
Oddities & Native American Crafts
— Jan Hammond —
525 Philips Rd., West Glover, VT
(802) 525-4559
Maple Sunday
Breakfast Buffets
Horse & Wagon Rides
Featured Artists Reception: First Sundays, 1–3 pm
March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
8 am – 2 pm
At Our Sugarhouse All-you-can-eat buffet includes pancakes, waffles,
scrambled eggs, eggs fritatta, biscuits, toast, home fries,
maple French toast bake, sausage, bacon, ham, sausage
gravy, assorted fruits, donuts, beverage of choice. Our own
maple syrup and maple cream. $13.99 (plus tax).
Tues, Wed, Thurs, and Sat 11 am – 4:30 pm
Fri 12–6 pm • Closed Sun & Mon
16 Mountain View Meadow Rd. (Rt 100)
Morrisville, VT
802-888-5065 • www.ncal.com • adopt@ncal.com
Open Wednesday–Saturday 10–5, Sunday 10–2
321 Main St., Enosburg Falls, VT
(802) 933-6403 • www.artistinresidencecoop.com
Special Treats on Maple Open House Weekend March 28 & 29
246 Rt. 25, West Topsham, VT
(802) 439-6880 • www.limlawmaplefarm.com
Photography • Painting • Pottery • Jewelry
Fiber Arts • Wood Products • & More!
Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015 Page 27
North Country Book News
Children’s Book Reviews by Charles Sutton
The Magic of Maple and the Late Winter Forest!
March brings warming winds from the south ushering in squirrel, beaver, and tiny bird. As the title suggests there
the first signs of spring. It was worth the wait. Remember are a lot of strange noises before the final CRACK bursting
without winter there would be no spring.
Spring wide open. The Spring drawing alone makes the
snowy journey a worthwhile trip for you and these travelers.
i
i
i
Maple sugaring season has its own sights—golden syrup,
The author has received a Newbury honor. You can visit her
steam from the sugar house and fire under the evaporators, at www.mariondanebauer.com. John Shelley’s illustrations
but there are other seasonal colors, too, as seen in Sugar are internationally known, especially in Japan where he lived
White Snow and Evergreens: A Winter
for 21 years. Check out his website at
Wonderland of Color by Felicia Sanwww.jshelley.com.
zari Chernesky and illustrated by Susan
Swan (Albert Whitman & Company,
When we venture into the woods
$16.99, www.albertwhitman.com).
we may know something about trees
Join a family on a sleigh ride to Mr.
and animals, but in What Forest
Sweet’s Famous Sugar Maple farm
Knows by George Ella Lyon and ilwhere they enjoy maple syrup being
lustrated by August Hall (Simon &
made and have a breakfast of pancakes
Schuster, $17.99, kids.simonandschus
and syrup, hash and eggs. Their colorter.com), one is treated to a magnificent
ful winter journey includes seeing blue
panorama of how the seasons really
sleigh tracks on the glittering white
unfold in the forest.
snow; a red cardinal landing on the
A little boy and his dog share what
orange carrot snowman’s nose; silver
the forest knows and teaches. The
pails collecting sap; the black boiling
stunning drawings are enhanced by
pan inside the sugar shack; the amber
little verses also telling the story. As
maple syrup; a ride down hills with
we see, the forest knows snow, icy
purple shadows; and evergreen trees
branches, frozen waterfall, squirrels
a-plenty. This rainbow of colors is beauasleep in branches, insects burrowed in
tifully displayed and makes you long for sugaring season. bark, moles resting among roots. And with spring, the forYou can visit the author online at feliciachernesky.com est knows buds, soft life pushing though hardwood, a haze
and the illustrator at susanswan.com.
of yellow-green, purple, and pink above a cascading creek.
There are animals, too: warblers, woodpeckers, bluebirds,
With its long-lasting cold and snow this winter one may doves, wolves, deer. And we learn the “forest knows everywonder if spring will ever come. In Crinkle, Crackle, thing belongs, including you, too.”
CRACK—It’s Spring by Marion Dane Bauer and illustrated
The author, George Ella Lyon, grew up just down the road
by John Shelley (Holiday House, $16.95, www.holidayhouse. from Blanton Forest, the largest old-growth forest in Kencom), a friendly bear takes a little girl on a snowy trip through tucky. Find out more online at georgeellalyon.com. Illustrator
the woods looking for Spring. They are joined by a rabbit, August Hall has worked as a sketch artist for Dreamworks
and Pixar among others, but his love is for picture books and
he has shifted his focus to editorial illustration. Lucky us!
Hermit Hill Books
Used, Rare, & Collectible Books
For the Whole Family
Buy • Sell • Book Searches
95 Main Street • Poultney, VT
(802) 287-5757 • Open Year Round
www.hermithillbooks.com
New, Used
& Rare Books
Special orders & browsers always welcome.
Open Mon–Fri 10–6, Sat 9–5
(802) 626-5051
www.GreenMtnBooks.com
1055 Broad Street, Lyndonville, VT
MORSE FARM
MAPLE SUGARWORKS
Two Books by Burr Morse
A sugarmaker describes what maple
and life in Vermont are all about.
Book Review
Mammal Tracks and Scat
Life-size Pocket Guide—Tracking Through All Seasons
by Lynn Levine
(Heartwood Press)
There has been so much prints are all drawn to scale
snow this winter this would just as you would see them in
be a good time to figure out the snow, mud, sand or dirt.
what animals have been makLarger prints identify deer,
ing all those tracks around moose and bear. Mediumyour home other than the sized footprints include fox,
neighbor’s dog or cat. Or if coyote, otter, beaver, oposyou venture into the woods sum, woodchuck, porcupine,
the tracks and animal scat skunk, beaver, rabbit and
will introduce you to the even other species. Smaller prints
greater variety of wildlife.
help identify mouse, chipThanks to this 45-page wa- munk, red and grey squirrel.
terproof pocket-size guide,
The guide has scat drawanimal identification is now ings from 27 species. Lynn
at your finger tips. The au- gives extra clues to help
thor, Lynn Levine, who lives I.D. the scat. For instance,
in East Dummerston, VT, snowshoe hare scat usually
the first female consulting contains pieces of wood.
forester in New England, has
Lynn Levine also is the
been sharing her expertise on author of Snow Secrets, a
wildlife identification with fictional children’s tracking
workshops and guided trips adventure.
into the forests for more than
25 years.
You can find more about
This guide keys you into Lynn’s books and her protrack patterns used by dif- grams at www.heartwood
ferent animals: walking and press.com where the tracktrotting, bounding, hopping ing guide can be ordered for
or waddling. Animal foot- $14.95.
Sustainable Living
Book Exchange
Children’s Book Review
Wee Gillis
by Munro Leaf
Illustrated by Robert Lawson
(New York Review Children’s Collection, $15.95, nyrb.com)
It’s not unusual for young people to have suffer through
battles of alliance when family members have conflicting
ideas about what they should do.
Pity poor Wee Gillis, who lives in Scotland where he
spends half the year with his mother’s people in the Lowlands, and the other half of the year with his father’s kin in
the Highlands.
Being a conscientious boy he does well at his chores for
these families. In the Lowlands we see the kilted Wee Gillis
building up some strong lung power calling in the Scotch
Highland cattle he herds in all kind of weather.
In the Highlands his task is to help stalk stags from outcrop
to outcrop, holding his breath so as not to make a sound.
But the years go by and Wee Gilles finally comes of age
where he has to decide whether he is a Lowlander or a
Highlander. On the fateful day Wee Gillis follows his Uncle
Andrew from the Lowlands and his Uncle Angus from the
Highlands to a half-way meeting point between the two
countrysides. The uncles plead, beg, and finally stamp their
feet and shout, urging him to pick sides now! “You could
hear them shouting all the way down the valley and all the
way up the hills.”
This verbal tempest temporarily comes to the end when
a large man, a bagpiper, comes by. He is sad and crying
because the fine new bagpipes he is carrying are too big and
he hasn’t enough breath to blow them up. The uncles try the
pipes and fail. Now Wee Gilles asks if he can try the pipes.
And we see that all that lung power he has built up works.
“The bag filled up and let out a screech through every one
of its pipes and the large man and Uncle Andrew and Uncle
Angus fell off their rocks with surprise.”
It’s also a happy surprise for us to learn that “the large
man taught him how to make music and now Wee Gillis is
welcome down in the Lowlands and up in the Highlands,
but most of the time he just stays in his house half way up
the side of a medium-sized hill and plays THE BIGGEST
BAGPIPES IN ALL SCOTLAND.” Would that all our family
squabbles were sorted out this well.
You will enjoy the illustrator’s line drawings that are just
as amusing as the story itself.
The author Leaf Munro (1905-1976) wrote and illustrated
more than 40 books, his best known being The Story of
Ferdinand (1936) about a gentle bull in Spain that preferred
smelling flowers to bullfighting, also illustrated by his friend
Robert Lawson.
Leaf once commented: “Early on in my writing career
I realized that if one found some truths worth telling they
should be told to the young in terms understandable to them.”
He certainly has done that here.
Illustrator Robert Lawson (1892-1957) was a prolific
writer and illustrator of literature for children and the first
person to receive both the Newbery and Caldicott medals.
Among his classic stories are Rabbit Hill and Ben and Me.
We thank the New York Review of Books for bringing us
this and other newly reprinted classics. www.nyrb.com.
Self-service: take a book, leave a book.
Donations accepted. (802) 310-8534
Neshobe Farm, 142 Steinberg Rd., Brandon, VT
Off Rt. 7 just north of the village. In the winter, come to the house
Sugar Words
Golden Times
Musings From
An Old Vermonter
$19.95 plus $5 s/h
(paper cover)
Tales Through The
Sugarhouse Window
$19.95 plus $5 s/h
(paper cover)
www.NextChapterBooksVT.com
158 N. Main St., Barre, VT • (802) 476-3114
Open Monday–Saturday 9:30 am – 6:00 pm
Make Sure You Don’t Give Up
Reading for Lent!
Morse Farm, 1168 County Rd.
Montpelier, VT 05602 • (802) 223-2740
Books, Cards, Gifts, Stuffed Animals, Candles!
We Ship • morsefarm.com
Children’s Storytime: Saturday Mornings at 10:30 a.m.
Page 28 Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015
Visit our Tree House/Reading Loft!
The Eloquent Page
Books - New, Rare and Used
70 North Main Street • St. Albans, Vt.
(802) 527-7243 • Mon - Sat 10 am-5:30 pm
The Sugarmaker’s Companion
An Integrated Approach to Producing Syrup
from Maple, Birch, and Walnut Trees
by Michael Farrell
(Chelsea Green Publishing)
One can only guess when the maple sug- lighter color. The author notes that the prices
aring season will start and finish. The end for birch syrup are three to five times those
will comes all too soon when the sap-giving of maple syrup because so few are producmaples start budding out and the Spring ing it. He reminds us that when there is high
demand and limited supply, prices go up.
peepers are heard at night.
Farrell relates a story about how Korean
Sugarmakers who wish they could keep
going awhile longer when the maple run is immigrants who live in New York City came
over might consider shifting to tapping and to his sugarhouse just to purchase maple sap,
producing birch sap and syrup. Birch? Or but were surprised and impressed that he
knew about the Korean maple called ‘goroeven nut trees?
The Sugarmaker’s Companion, a 325- ses’ which means “the tree that is good for
page fascinating book has plenty of down-to- the bones.” He said they came twice to buy
the-basics advice and technical information sap at $5 a gallon.
We learn that in addition to S. Korea,
for today’s maple sugarmakers, but readers
will be intrigued by its encouraging look at other countries that consume a lot of tree
growing and tapping birch as well as nut sap are Japan, China, Finland and Russia,
trees. They also can produce a tasty syrup or where birch sap is used to treat hypertension,
urinary problems, gout,
beverage that could be just
Book Review
gastritis, kidney problems
as economically feasible as
and scurvy.
time-tested maple syrup
by Charles Sutton
Farrell sees a growing
and maple products.
Author Michael Farrell is director of market for birch sap and syrup and its byCornell University’s Uihlein Forest, a maple products in the United States through health
syrup research and extension field station at drinks, birch beers and ales, and carbonated
Lake Placid, NY, where he taps 5,000 maples, beverages.
The three most common birches in North
600 birch trees and a few dozen black walnut
America that can be tapped are paper birch,
and butternut trees every year.
yellow birch and black birch also known as
And he writes:
“Having once harvested and thoroughly sweet birch. These are discussed in some
enjoyed butternuts (although the trees are detail as well as other tree species he recomscarce now, and their nuts hard to crack), I mends for tapping.
Among his list of unusual tapping prosregret I never planted any nut trees, let alone
pects for the adventuresome are sycamore,
think they would make syrup.”
Farrell is especially keen on tapping birch butternuts, black and English walnuts and
trees whose sap can be made into healthy heartnuts.
Write-ups about these trees and their posbeverages that are gaining in popularity
sibilities also extend to the pros and cons of
today, and he notes:
“The warm weather that causes the maple a variety of maple trees. He discusses sugar
season to end early is the same weather that maple, black maple, red maple, silver maple,
warms the soil up and gets the birch sap Norway maple, boxelder, bigleaf maple,
canyon maple and Rocky Mountain maple.
flowing.”
What may surprise us is that other areas of
Farrell says if you have a lot of birches
mixed in with the maples one can use the America and countries around the world have
same releases, vacuum pumps, and tanks capable trees for sap gathering and possibly
as long as they are thoroughly cleaned and being made into syrup.
If there’s a theme to The Sugarmaker’s
all the valves to your maple taps are closed.
“We once made the mistake of not washing, Companion it’s savvy advice and ideas for
and the sap quickly became contaminated making maple sugaring financially rewardwith the residual bacteria left over from the ing. Chapters are devoted to sugarhouse
design and construction; cost effective ways
maple season.”
Because birch sap contains mostly fructose for gathering sap; the best equipment includand glucose, it caramelizes at a lower tem- ing using vacuum pumps to get the most sap
perature than maple sap (mostly sucrose), out of one’s trees.
Those of us who continue to be amazed by
so in making birch syrup, the boil time can
create a syrup with a very strong flavor and so much plastic tubing in the woods replacing collection buckets will learn that actually
much darker in color.
Farrell recommends using reverse osmosis a great deal of thought and care is given to
to remove at least 80 percent of the water laying out those colorful lines.
A herringbone design is popular, but adfrom the birch sap before it is boiled; resulting in a shorter boiling time which will create vice is given on dealing with terrain problems
a syrup with a much more delicate flavor and and how to keep gravity on a sap-flowing
Book Review
Discover Thetford’s History
Vermont author and historian Susanna H. French
has complied a wonderful
history of Thetford, VT entitled Thetford, published
by Arcadia Publishing, part
of their Images of America
Series.
This is a fascinating introduction to Thetford, VT, still
comprised today of seven
villages—Thetford Hill and
Thetford Center, East and
North Thetford, Post Mills,
Ely and Union Village, each
with its own unique history
revived here in 200 remarkable photographs.
The author, who lives in
Thetford and is a trustee of
the Thetford Historical Society, documents how a for-
Vermont
Antiquarian
Booksellers
Association
Visit: www.vermont
isbookcountry.com
More Than
70 Dealers
estland is transformed into a
self-sustaining community of
farms and mills connected to
the greater America through
busy railroads and stagecoaches.
Historically the area enjoyed an economic boost
(and still does) from tourism
and especially from the camp
craze that started in the early
1900s. We see early camp
girls fashionably dressed and
railroad depots packed with
camp girls and boys.
Dozens of photos make
us aware that the area’s
economy at one time was
mill-oriented, manufacturing lumber, furniture, rake
handles, bobbins, linseed oil,
cloth, shingles, starch, sash
and blinds, even musical instruments and shoes. All that
remains today of these mills
and factories are memories
and pictures in this book.
We can see the population
was resilient in the face of
fires, flood, storms and other
disasters.
This is also a history about
the Thetford people and we
hear about many of them.
Consider Bathsheba Lane,
a midwife who delivered
1,666 babies and never lost
a mother!
Thetford by Susanna H.
French is available from your
bookseller for $21.99 or can
be orderd from the publisher
at arcadiapublishing.com.
Wed.–Sat.
Wed.–Sat. 12–6
12
12–6
6 or
or appt.
appt.
level. We are shown how to install main and
lateral lines, manifolds, support wires, and
collection tanks. We even see a sap ladder
to lift sap lines over a roadway.
The author discusses being certified organic or not; buying additional sap or syrup
in bulk and its pricing structure; leasing
taps; and profitability through value-added
products such as maple cream, candy, granulated maple sugar, maple soda, maple cotton
candy, and sugar-on-snow. He even shows a
chart showing the higher prices generated
using smaller containers.
Although this book deals with much technical information, there are many anecdotes
and stories about the people in sugaring.
How many of us knew there’s a “syrup
inspector in chief” in Vermont, Henry
Marckres, whose job is to pinpoint the source
of substandard or off-flavored syrup. His
testing sometimes has sent him to the hos-
pital, but not in the case of some syrup that
tasted fishy. He discovered the sugarmaker
was steaming clams in the back pan of the
evaporator! Lesson to be learned: only syrup
should be cooked in the evaporator.
Among the flavors he discovered you don’t
want your syrup to have: chlorine, detergent,
metallic, plastic, defoamer, chemical, fermented, burnt niter, earthy, and buddy—the
end of the season syrup that takes on a fruity,
almost chocolate flavor that has often been
described as Tootsie Roll. If you follow the
advice in this book, your syrup—maple or
birch—will taste just fine.
The Sugarmaker’s Companion—An integrated Approach to Producing Syrup from
Maple, Birch, and Walnut Trees by Michael
Farrell is available from your bookseller for
$39.95 or from the publisher, Chelsea Green
Publishing at www.chelseagreen.com.
The Book Nook
The Bookmobile
136 Main St., Ludlow, VT
Used Books
New Books
Cards • Gifts
(802) 228-3238
thebooknookvt@hotmail.com
thebooknookvt.com
Open Mon–Fri 10–6
Saturday 9–3
58 Merchants Row
Downtown Rutland, VT
(802) 342-1477
We Welcome You
To Come in and Browse.
Free Wireless.
www.bookmobilevermont.com
Find us on facebook
(for 17 years your local used book store)
Is now Your New Book Store
Why drive to Burlington, Manchester,
or Saratoga? Call or come in and order
any new or in print book, pick it up in
two days, pay list price! (Overnight
delivery as low as $5.) We still have the
books you want, or we can get them.
Joseph Trenn, The Book Shed
Lake & Stage Roads, Benson VT
(802) 537-2190 • thebookshed.com
Open Wed–Sun, 10–6
Worth a visit? One of the best in
New England says Yankee Magazine!
Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015 Page 29
The Lunenburg 10th Annual Maple Festival
— March 28, 2015 —
The Lunenburg Annual Maple Festival celebrates an important heritage – an understanding and appreciation for all
that goes into the process of “sugaring” and the historical
importance of sugaring in the town of Lunenburg Vermont.
This year marks the 10th Festival. The Top of the Common
Committee invites you to join in this duel celebration!
On Saturday, March 28 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Lunenburg Primary School, located above the Town Common off
Rt. 2 on 49 Bobbin Mill Rd., will serve as the hub for the
Festival. There visitors can enjoy homemade meals, sign up
for a free door prize, pick up a scavenger hunt, and a map
and directions to the six local sugarhouses that are open for
visitors. Photographs, interactive displays, and local antique
sugaring equipment chronicle all that goes into the sugaring
process and the local families as they have carried on the
tradition over generations.
In honor of Lunenburg’s 10 years of celebrating its maple
sugaring heritage, visitors will have the occasion to meet and
visit with Katherine Ham of Sheffield, VT, Vermont’s Maple
Ambassador, enjoy the Lunenburg and Gilman K–12 student
entries in a poster contest, and view some anniversary theme
displays. As in past years, they will have the opportunity to
cast their vote for the People’s Choice awards in the photo
and quilt square contests, and purchase maple and Lunenburg
theme products, including copies of A Wicked Good Run.
Festival Schedule
At specific times during the day, these activities are available at the school and nearby locations:
• From 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.—Pancake Breakfast at the
school. The menu including sausage, eggs, home fries, beverages and real maple syrup, will be offered by The Top of
the Common Committee. $7 adults, $3.50 ages 12-4, under
age 4 free. Take-outs are available.
• 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.—Sugar-on-Snow and Maple Cotton
Candy will be available at the VMSMA portable sugarhouse
in the school parking lot.
• 10:30 a.m.—Judging of the Maple-Flavored Pie
Contest will begin at the Pie Contest table. Whole pies and
pieces will be available for purchase throughout the day,
after the winners have been announced. $2/piece, $8-$12
for whole pies.
• From 10 a.m. to mid-afternoon—Self-guided tours
through the participating local sugarhouses. Visitors,
with maps in hand, can take self-guided tours through the
participating local sugarhouses to visit with sugarmakers,
purchase maple syrup and, weather permitting, watch syrup
being made. The sugarhouses provide a representation of the
diverse methods of sap collection, fuel, and product sales.
• Noon to 3 p.m.—Luncheon at the school with a choice
of homemade soups, homemade breads, and a dessert for $5.
• At 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.—Learn how to tap a tree and
what makes the sap run at a tapping demonstration on the
Town Common.
• At 3:45 p.m.—Winners will be announced for the photo
and quilt square contests, quilt raffle, free door prizes and
counting jar contest.
Enter the photo, quilt square, and pie baking contests! For
festival information visit www.topofthecommon.org/17.html
or call Chris at (802) 892-6654.
The Lunenburg Primary School is located off Rt. 2 on
Bobbin Mill Rd. above the Town Common in Lunenburg, VT.
Lunenburg is located in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom on
the way from St. Johnsbury, VT to New Hampshire.
Chet and Sharon Stockwell of Lunenburg, VT are training their grandchildren in their family heritage of sugaring, the
sixth generation! They began their backyard operation 17 years ago in the driveway surrounded by a makeshift tarp
“house”; now they’re in a sugarhouse constructed over a period of four years. Using buckets to collect the sap, they have
115 taps in their, neighbors’, and relatives’ trees—some of the same trees that Sharon’s great-grandfather tapped. A real
neighborhood-family operation!
Vermont Winter Farmers Markets Start your shopping with a trip to a Farmer’s Market and
you’ll be pleased at how much of your table can be from
Vermont, locally-grown and better tasting, even in the winter.
You’ll find winter squash, potatoes, onions, and all sorts of
greenhouse greens, fresh herbs, and salad makings. There
will be apples all winter and freshly-pressed cider; pies,
baked goods including gluten-free; Vermont cheeses and
wines. And now that it’s March, new season maple products.
At some markets you can enjoy music and entertainment
and most have snacks while you shop or take-home foods.
Bradford Farmers Market, Grace United Methodist
Church. Second and fourth Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 2
p.m., through April. Iris Johnson, (802) 222-4495. hello
bradfordfarmers@gmail.com. facebook.com/bradford
farmersmarket.
Brattleboro Winter Farmers’ Market at River Garden,
153 Main St. Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., through March
2015. Accepts EBT and debit cards. Sherry Maher, (802)
869-2141. farmersmarket@postoilsolutions.org. www.
postoilsolutions.org.
Burlington Winter Farmers’ Market at Memorial AuditoBennington-Walloomsac Winter Farmers Markets at rium, at the corner of Main St. and S. Union. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
First Baptist Church, 601 Main St. January through April, every other Saturday, March 14 & 28, and April 11. Accepts
first and third Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. info@walloomsac. EBT and debit cards. Chris Wagner, (802) 310-5172. info@
burlingtonfarmersmarket.org. burlingtonfarmersmarket.org.
org. On Facebook.
Burlington—UVM Medical Center Farmers Market in
the Davis Concourse at the hospital. Every Thursday through
May 15, 2:30-5 p.m. Tanya McDonald. tanya.mcdonald@
vtmednet.org.
Dorset Winter Farmers’ Market at J.K. Adams Kitchen
Store and Factory on Rt. 30. Sundays from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.,
through May 5. Carol Adinolfi. marketmanager@dorsetfarm
ersmarket.com. www.dorsetfarmersmarket.com.
Groton Growers’ Winter Farmers Market at Groton
Community Building Gym. Every third Saturday, 10 a.m.
– 1 p.m., through May. Mary Berlejung and Sandi Adams.
(802) 584-3595 or (802) 633-3031. grotongrowers@gmail.
com. www.grotongrowers.org.
Lebanon, NH—Lebanon Farmers Market at Lebanon
Senior Center, 10 Campbell St. Saturdays 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
March 21, April 18. Lindsay Smith, (603) 448-5121. info@
lebanonfarmersmarket.org. lebanonfarmersmarket.org.
Middlebury Winter Farmer’s Market at Mary Hogan Elementary School, 201 Mary Hogan Dr. Saturdays March 7
through April 25, 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Jeremy Gildrien & ShaPage 30 Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015
ron Kerwin, (802) 989-7223. middleburyfarmersmarket.org.
Montpelier—Capital City Winter Farmers’ Market. All
markets run from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. March 21 at Montpelier
High School on Bailey Ave.; March 7 at Montpelier City
Hall; March 21 and April 11 & 25 at Montpelier High School.
Carolyn Grodinsky, (802) 223-2958. manager@montpelier
farmersmarket.com. www.montpelierfarmersmarket.com.
Northfield Winter Farmers’ Market. Norwich University’s Plumley Armory. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. March 1, and April
4. Crystal Peterson. (802) 485-5563. northfieldfarmers
marketvt.com.
Norwich Farmers’ Winter Market at Tracy Hall, 300
Main St. Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 14 & 28;
April 11 & 25. Steve Hoffman, (802) 384-7447. manager@
norwichfarmersmarket.org. norwichfarmersmarket.org.
Rutland Winter Farmers’ Market. Food Center Building
at 251 West St. Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Wednesdays 4-7
p.m. through May 2. Doug Patac, (802) 753-7269. info@
vtfarmersmarket.org. www.vtfarmersmarket.org
Sharon Sprouts Farmers’ Markets at Sharon Elementary
School. March 14, 10 am – 1 pm, local lunch 11:30 am – 1
pm. Donna Foster, (802) 763-8280. vtfoster@myfairpoint.
net.
St. Johnsbury—Caledonia Winter Farmers Market at
St. Johnsbury Welcome Center, Railroad St. First and third
Saturdays through April 18, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Elizabeth
Everts, (802) 592-3088.
Windsor—The Windsor Farmers Market. First and third
Sundays. 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. through May. At the Windsor Welcome Center, 3 Railroad Ave. windsor.vt.farmers.
market@gmail.com.
Woodstock Winter Farmers Market. At the Masonic
Hall at 30 Pleasant St. Saturday, March 21 and April 18
from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Anne Dean, (802) 457-3889. anne
ldean@gmail.com.
Rural Vermont Real Estate
Northern Metals
We Buy Copper, Brass, Aluminum,
Bronze, Litho, Radiators,
Stainless Steel, Wire, Etc., Etc.
If You Can Dream It, We Can Do It!
TOP PRICES PAID
FOR QUALITY METALS
Roll Off Service Now Available
We Pick Up Large Quantities & Industrial Accounts
We Do Camps (pre-built)
New Location: 25 Curtis Ave., Rutland, VT
We Do Barns
Rear of Todd Transportation Bldg. Turn north at R.R. Tracks
Open Monday–Friday, 8-5 • Saturday 8–12
(802) 773-3583 • northernmetalrecyclers.com
Unfinished A-Frame situated on 11 Acres on Hossington Cross Road in Danby
– Quiet location – Needs
well and possible septic and
finishing inside of building.
Being sold in “as is” condition. Asking $56,000. Call
(802) 379-0514.
We Do Cabins
We Do Garages
Lumber & Lumber Packages for Cabins, Garages,
Houses, Camps, Barns, Saunas, Sheds, Etc.
Dick Walker Sawmill, Etc.
Evergreen Rd., Fair Haven, VT 05743 • Phone & Fax (802) 273-2077
Bean Group | Stratton
36 VT Rt. 30, Bondville, VT 05340 • (800) 450-7784
Emily.Underwood@beangroup.com • Fax (802) 297-3319
Check out our website—lots of pictures, plus map! www.dickwalkersawmill.com
Interest Rates Are Still Very Low
2092 Orange. Executive Hunting Lodge/Summer
Home – 3 bedrooms – ½ bath – gravity spring – gas
lights – refrigerator – cookstove – maple floors –
pine walls – large decks on 2 sides – 500 gal.
septic – very private – 37.9 surveyed land – good
moose, bear and deer hunting...Price $119,000.
2091 Washington. 4 bedroom cape – older home,
but in very good condition – rewired – new 3 zone
hot water heat – pellet stove – 1,000 gal. septic –
attached barn/garage – town water – 1.2 acres of
large back lawn/garden – walk to village...$149,900.
2095 Chelsea. 20x28' Camp – cement foundation –
3 rooms, plus loft –covered porch, gas lights, plus
gas cook stove – wood stove for heat – 20 acres
land – good gravel road...Priced to sell $78,000.
2076 Corinth. 18x25' Camp, with ½ loft – 90% finished
– wired for a generator – 25 acres of land – very private,
but access with a car – good views...Price $79,900.
2100 Corinth. Approx. 15 acres – mostly woodland
– very private – good get-away and hunting land...
..................................................Price only $16,900.
2086 Royalton. 2½ acre building lot – surveyed
driveway and in-ground septic design – small
stream – year-round gravel road...Price $49,900.
2097 Topsham. 8½ acres of land – surveyed with
990' frontage, on good gravel road. (Priced over
$5,000 below town assessment)...$25,9000.
2094 Chelsea. 30 acres of land – driveway and
campsite on good trout brook – year-round gravel
road – close to village......................Price $44,900.
2096 Orange. 34 acres land – mostly woodland –
very private - very good hunting land...Price $39,500.
2085 Royalton. 6 acres – driveway and pond
– 24x18’ horse barn – in-ground septic design –
good gravel road............................Price $74,900.
2081 Chelsea. Commercial Property – 33 self storage
units – permits for 2 more buildings – 5 acres of land,
plus mobile home hook up, rental....Price $149,500.
2083 Chelsea. 50 Acres of Land – good open fields
– excellent views to the south – both telephone
and electric power on property – good year-round
gravel Rd – private building sites...Price $200,000.
BUTTON REAL ESTATE
Brian A. Button
Broker
Tel. (802) 685-4679 • Fax (802) 685-3001
375 VT. Rt. 110, Chelsea, VT 05038
All sales subject
to owner's acceptance.
Write for free list
Please phone for appointment. Licensed Vt. Real Estate Broker for 43 years.
Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015 Page 31
Traditional
Sugar-on-Snow!
Locally-grown, open-pollinated seeds.
Send for e-mail catalog.
Join us every
Fri, Sat, & Sun, 12–5 pm
in March & April
106 gilson rd, hartland, Vt 05048
802-436-3262 • sdav@valley.net
W I N T E R
FARMERS
M A R K E T
Through March
10 am – 2 pm
At the River Garden
BRATTLEBORO
Includes: Old-Fashioned
Raised Donuts,
Beverage, and Pickle.
Every Saturday
153 Main St., Brattleboro, VT
Farm Fresh • Local • Handmade • Homemade
Great Local Food Lunches & Live Music
Maple Open House, March 28 & 29
Live fiddle music from Noon–5 p.m.
Free Maple Tours and Tastings A Wonderful Selection of Gifts • Debit & EBT Cards Welcomed
Maple Syrup, Candies & Cream • Take Some Home or Have it Shipped
Maple Ice Cream Parlor: Maple Creemees, Home of the Maple Milkshake!
We Tell the Maple Story!
1005 VT Rt. 14 N. • E. Montpelier, VT • www.braggfarm.com
Call for Free Catalog • (802) 223-5757 • Open Daily 8:30–6:00
In Print and in Video
www.perceptionsvermont.com
Maple Sugarin’ in
Vermont: A Sweet History
A 192-page book
The Maple Sugaring Story
A DVD All About Maple Sugaring
The Magical Maple Tree
A DVD for Children, Eng. & Fr. Versions
Pure Vermont Maple:
Voices from the Sugarwoods
A DVD Told by Vermont Sugarmakers
Eighth generation sugarmaker Doug Bragg tends the fire during sugaring season.
Perceptions Inc., Don & Betty Ann Lockhart
1030 Hinesburg Rd, Charlotte, VT 05445
802-425-2783 • perceptivt@aol.com
Come Watch Us Boil During March!
Maple Open House March 28 At the Manchester Farm Stand
Look for Steam in the
Sugarhouse: Visitors Welcome
Live Fiddle Music from 12–2 pm. Specialty Foods, Vendors,
Maple Creemies and Fudge. Sugar House Tours.
Fresh Produce
Fresh Apples from Our Orchard.
Cabbage, Potatoes, Carrots,
Gilfeather Turnips, Fresh Greens from
Our Greenhouse. Herbs and All Your
Favorite Vegetables, Fruits & Cider.
Homemade Baked Goods
Fresh Fruit Pies, Pastries, Cookies, Bread.
Our Own Maple Syrup. Vermont Cheeses.
Jams, Jellies, Honey, and Fudge.
Greenhouses
“Buy Direct From a Farmer”
We will be opening for Spring in late March.
Come see us for Easter Plants!
Open Year-Round, All Three Locations • 9 am – 7 pm Daily
Rt. 11/30, Manchester, VT • (802) 362-3083
Rt. 9, W. Brattleboro, VT • (802) 254-0254
Rt. 30, Newfane, VT • (802) 365-4168
duttonberryfarm.com and on facebook—Dutton Berry Farm
Page 32 Vermont Country Sampler, March 2015
See Us for New
2015 Maple Syrup
Free Samples of
Maple Syrup & Sweet Cider